1. The petitioner who is the 1st accused in C.C.901 of 1996 on the files of the Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Kuthuparamba, challenges the concurrent verdict passed against him u/s 420 of the IPC.

2. Originally the petitioner along with five others were proceeded against at the instance of the 1st respondent for having committed the offence punishable u/s 420 and 406 IPC, and sec.4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act r/w S.120(B) of the IPC. Accused Nos.2 to 6 were acquitted of all charges and the petitioner alone was found guilty u/s 420 IPC and he was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year and to pay fine of Rs.5,000/- in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three months. Though the above findings were challenged in appeal, the learned Appellate Court confirmed the findings of the trial Court after modifying the sentence. The above concurrent findings are under challenge in this Criminal Revision Petition filed u/s 397 r/w 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

3. The case of the prosecution tersely stated are as follows:

PW1, the complainant is the uncle of one Usha, with whom, a proposal for marriage with the petitioner was mooted. Accused Nos.2 and