1. The appellant, Uday Kumar Mehta, was tried along with two others, Butu Mahato and Turani Devi, who are his parents. The appellant and other two accused were charged for the offence under Section 302, 201, 120-B read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code as well as under Section 3/4 of Dowry Prohibition Act. The trial Judge, while acquitting Butu Mahato and Turani Devi, found the appellant alone guilty for the offence under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment, while acquitted him of the other charges. The present appeal is against the said conviction and sentence.

2. The facts are the appellant is the husband of Madhuri Devi and married Madhuri Devi in the year 1987. It is the case of the prosecution that along with the appellant, the deceased Madhuri Devi and his parents, Butu Mahato and Turani Devi, were also living and Madhuri Devi, the deceased, after leaving her matrimonial house, filed an application under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the Civil Court, Garhwa, seeking maintenance from the appellant and that later, a compromise petition was filed before the Civil Court and that thereafter, the dece