2011 Supreme(UK) 654

2012 (1) N.C.C. 456
UTTARAKHAND HIGH COURT
Hon'ble Mr. Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Hon'ble Mr. Justice U.C. Dhyani
Criminal Appeal No. 215 of 2002
JAGDISH & ORS. – Appellants
Versus
STATE OF UTTARANCHAL – Respondent
Decided on : 29.12.2011

Headnote:(A) Dowry death — According to prosecution accused persons/in laws of deceased used to subject the deceased to cruelty and harassment for non fulfillment of their demand of dowry and ousted her from their house — A Panchayat held in this regard, in which an agreement was executed and signed by all the accused persons — After that deceased was sent back to her in-laws house — Where they committed her murder — Learned trial court convicted and sentenced the accused persons under Dowry Prohibition Act — Thereby appeal by deceased's brother-in-laws, sister-in-law and her father-in-law's brother contending that they reside separately in another house and had separate ration-card — Held — If these appellants had no concern with the crime, they would have never participated in the panchayat and would have never signed the agreement — Thus, contention of accused not trustworthy. (Paras 5 to 9 and 21)

       (B) Indian Penal Code, 1860, Sec. 201 — As per prosecution accused persons committed murder of the deceased for non fulfillment of their demand for dowry — And cremated her without informing the police and her parents — Held that as the pyre of the deceased was lit, without waiting for the deceased's father and without informing the police — Also, as no inquest was conducted and accused had removed the piece of evidence by hastily cremating the deceased's body — Therefore, they rightly been convicted for the offence punishable u/s 201 of Penal Code. (Paras 22 and 25)

       (C) Criminal Trial — Dowry death — Conviction and sentence of accused persons u/s 498-A/304 and 201 IPC and 3/4 Dowry Prohibition Act — Appeal — Contention that the I.O. had not prepared site plan and the prosecution story unbelievable — Held — When the dead body was not present, nor inquest was made, no eyewitness was there — Then how could the I.O. prepare the site plan — No question of making site plan in the air no infirmity in the judgment of the learned trial court — Contention of the appellants without force. (Paras 23 to 26)

        ¼v½ ngst gR;k & vfHk;kstu ds vuqlkj vfHk;qDrx.k&e`rdk ds lkl@llqj mlds lkFk Øwjrk vkSj mRihM+u dk O;ogkj] ngst dh ekax dh iwfrZ uk djus dh otg ls djrs Fks vkSj mls vius ?kj ls ckgj fudky fn;k x;k Fkk & bl lEcU/k esa ,d iapk;r gqbZ Fkh ftlesa ,d vuqca/k rS;kj fd;k x;k Fkk ftl ij lHkh vfHk;qDrksa ds }kjk gLrk{kj fd;s x;s Fks & mlds ckn e`rdk dks mldh llqjky esa Hkst fn;k x;k & tgk¡ ij mldh gR;k dj nh xbZ & ekU; fopkj.k U;k;ky; }kjk ngst izfr"ks/k vfèkfu;e ds rgr vfHk;qDrksa dks nks"kflf) vkSj dkjkokl dh ltk lqukbZ xbZ & e`rdk ds nsoj] nsojkuh vkSj llqj ds HkkbZ ds }kjk bl vk/kkj ij vihy nk;j dh xbZ fd os i`Fkd edku esa vyx jgrs gSa vkSj mudk jk'ku dkMZ Hkh i`Fkd cuk gqvk Fkk & fu.kZ; esa dgk x;k fd ;fn bu vihykfFkZ;ksa dk tqeZ ls dksbZ lEcU/k ugha Fkk rks muds }kjk dHkh Hkh iapk;r esa Hkkx u fy;k tkrk vkSj os dHkh Hkh vuqcU/k ij gLrk{kj ugha djrs & bl izdkj vfHk;qDrksa dk rdZ fo'oluh; ugha gSA

        ¼izLrj 5 ls 9 vkSj 21½

       ¼c½ Hkkjrh; n.M lafgrk] 1860] /kkjk 201 & vfHk;kstu ds vuqlkj vfHk;qDrksa }kjk e`rdk dh gR;k mudh ngst dh ekax iwjh u gksus ds dkj.k dh xbZ Fkh vkSj mlds ekrk&firk rFkk iqfyl dks lwfpr fd;s fcuk gh mldk vafre laLdkj dj fn;k x;k Fkk & fu.kZ; esa dgk x;k pw¡fd e`rdk dh fprk dks] e`rdk ds firk dh vkus dh izrh{kk fd;s fcuk vkSj iqfyl dks lwpuk fn;s fcuk vkx yxk nh xbZ Fkh vkSj 'ko dh dksbZ tkap iM+rky Hkh ugha gqbZ Fkh vkSj vfHk;qDrksa }kjk lk{; ds lHkh va'kksa dks Hkh 'kh?kzrk ls vafre laLdkj djds feVk fn;k x;k Fkk & blfy, mu dh nks"kflf) /kkjk 201 IPC ds rgr lgh gqbZ FkhA ¼izLrj 22 vkSj 25½

       ¼l½ QkStnkjh Vªk;y & ngst gR;k & vfHk;qDrksa dh nks"kflf) vkSj dkjkokl dh ltk /kkjk 498A/304 vkSj 201 IPC vkSj 3@4 ngst izfr"ks/k vf/kfu;e ds vUrxZr lqukbZ xbZ & vihy nk;j dh xbZ & rdZ fn;k x;k fd foospuk vf/kdkjh }kjk ud'kk utjh rS;kj ugha fd;k x;k vkSj vfHk;kstu dh dgkuh vfo'oluh; gS & fu.kZ; esa dgk x;k & tc fd 'ko miyC/k ugha Fkk uk gh e`R;ksÙkj tkap gqbZ Fkh uk gh dksbZ izR;{kn'khZ lk{kh ogk¡ Fkk & rc foospuk vf/kdkjh fdl izdkj ls ud'kk utjh rS;kj djrk & gok esa ud'kk utjh cukus dk iz'u gh ugha mBrk & ekU; fopkj.k U;k;ky; ds fu.kZ; esa dksbZ deh ugha gS & vihykfFkZ;ksa ds rdZ cyghu gSaA

        ¼izLrj 23 ls 26½