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2001 Supreme(Raj) 950

Rajasthan High Court
Honble SUNIL KUMAR GARG, J.
Kishna Ram & Ors. - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan - Respondents
S.B. Criminal Appeal No. 565 of 1999
Decided On : September 04, 2001

Advocates Appeared:
P.N. Mohnani, for Appellants B.K. Mehar, Public Prosecutor

Headnote:(a) Penal Code, Sec.498-A and 304-B – Dowry death – Circumstantial evidence – Dying declaration not reliable as the deceased was not in a fit state of mind at the time of making the same – Brother of the deceased and other witness declared hostile and not supporting the case of prosecution – There is no reliable evidence against father and mother of the accused – If it was suicidal death there must be strong compelling reasons for the deceased to commit suicide and for that the main person responsible is the husband – Charge proved u/Sec.498-A & 304-B. (Paras 29 to 36)(b) Penal Code, Sec.498-A & 304-B–Dowry death–Deceased died due to burn – Liability of Mother- in-law and father-in-law – Threat given by the husband of the deceased – Mother and father had no concern about the threat given by husband – Insufficient evidence to connect them with dowry demand – Prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt – Acquitted.

       The deceased died in abnormal circumstances. If it was suicidal death there must have been very pressing motive or strong compelling reasons for the deceased to commit suicide and for that the main person responsible is the husband i.e. appellant No.1. (Para 36)

       Minusing that circumstance, there is no much reliable evidence against these two accused appellants Smt. Anchi and Chetan Ram, who are mother-in-law and father-in-law of the deceased respectively, on the point that dowry demand was ever made by these two accused appellants. Thus the circumstance which has taken place on the fateful day when the accused appellant No.1 threatened father of the deceased with dire consequences if his demands were not fulfilled exclusively relates to conduct of accused appellant No.1 who is husband and not to accused appellants No.2 and 3 and therefore, the prosecution evidence in this case so far as accused appellants No.2 and 3 are concerned, is insufficient to connect them with dowry demand etc. Therefore, the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused appellants No.2 and 3 for offence under Sections 498-A and 304-B I.P.C. Hence, these two accused appellants No.2 and 3 are entitled to acquittal. (Para 35)

Honble GARG, J.–This appeal has been preferred by the accused appellants against the judgment and order dated 10.9.99 passed by learned Additional Sessions Judge, Phalodi in Sessions Case No. 1/99 whereby the learned Additional Sessions Judge convicted the accused appellants for offence under Sections 498-A and 304-B I.P.C. and sentenced each of them as under :

Name of accused Offence Sentence Awarded

Kishna Ram 498-A I.P.C. 2 years S.I. & a fine of Rs. 100/- in default to further undergo 1 months S.I.

Kishna Ram 304-B I.P.C. 7 years S.I.

Smt. Anchi 498-A I.P.C. 2 years S.I. & a fine of Rs. 100/- in default to further undergo 1 months S.I.

Smt. Anchi 304-B I.P.C. 7 years S.I.

Chetan Ram 498-A I.P.C. 2 years S.I. & a fine of Rs. 100/- in default to further undergo 1 months S.I.

Chetan Ram 304-B I.P.C. 7 years S.I.

(2). It arises in the following circumstances :

(i) On 19.11.98 at about 8.15 a.m., P.W. 4 Lala Ram lodged a written report Ex.P/8 before P.W. 7 Bhupendra Singh, SHO Police Station Bhojasar stating that Chuki (hereinafter referred to as the deceased) was daughter of his brother P.W. 3 Haruram and she was married with the accused appellant No.1 in samvat year 2049 and P.W. 3 Haru Ram gave articles in dowry as per his capacity at the time of marriage and for last three years, the accused appellant No.1 was demanding Dora of gold, Ring of gold and Rs. 5000/-. This fact was brought to the knowledge by the deceased to her mother P.W. 9 Smt. Bhikhi, but since financial condition of P.W. 3 Haru Ram was not good, thus, this demand could not be fulfilled and for that all the accused appellants started harassing the deceased for not bringing sufficient dowry and also started beating. Upon this P.W. 13 Mula Ram and P.W. 3 Haru Ram went to the house of accused appellant No.3 (father-in-law) and they were apprised also. The deceased had two sons. For last four months, the deceased was in her in-laws house and on 18.11.98, she came to Dhani of P.W. 3 Haru Ram where the accused appellant No.1 asked the deceased as to why she had gone to the Dhani of her father and she should have gone to the Dhani of Likma Ram and when accused appellant No.1 was threatening the deceased, P.W. 4 Lala Ram was also there and he also made the accused appellant No.1 to understand as to why he was doing like that. Upon this the accused appellant No.1 told that till Dora of Gold, ring of gold and Rs. 5000/- were not given to him, he would not come to his Dhani and took the deceased with him. At about 11 p.m. in the night, P.W. 5 Jasu Ram and P.W. 6 Shiv Lal came to Dhani of P.W.4 Lal Ram in a jonga and informed P.W. 3 Haru Ram through P.W. 13 Mula Ram that the deceased had been burnt. Upon this P.W. 4 Lala Ram, P.W. 13 Mula Ram and P.W. 11 Birma Ram rushed towards her in-laws house and at that time P.W. 3 Haru Ram told that she had not burnt but she had been forced to burn by her in-laws. P.W. 4 Lala Ram, P.W. 13 Mula Ram, P.W. 11 Birma Ram along with P.W. 15 Asu Ram reached the Dhani of accused appellant No.3 and found that the deceased was burnt. It is further stated in the report Ex.P/8 that thereafter P.W.4 Lala Ram asked the deceased as to how it had happened, upon this the deceased in a very low voice told that all the accused appellants had burnt her after pouring kerosene oil on her and thereafter she died. It is further stated in the report that she had been put to death by her in-laws for not bringing sufficient dowry as per their demand.

(3). On this report, police chalked out regular FIR Ex.P/9 and started investigation.

(4). During investigation, post mortem of body of the deceased was got conducted by two doctors P.W. 6 Dr. Heera Lal Soni and P.W.14 Dr. C.P. Mathur on 20.11.98 and post mortem report is Ex.P/15 where the cause of death of deceased has been assigned as asphyxia due to burning.

(5). During investigation all the three accused appellants were got arrested through Fard Ex.P/5, 6 and 7 on 20.11.98.

(6). After usual investigation, the police fi




































































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