2026:CGHC:6813-DB The date when The date when the The date when the the judgment is judgment is judgment is uploaded on reserved pronounced the website Operative Full

05.12.2025 02.2026 -- .02.2026 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR ACQA No. 20 of 2013 Pankaj Kumar Chandra S/o Shri Gaurilal Chandra Aged About 25 Years R/o Village Satgarh, Post Pihrid, Tah. And Ps Malkharuada, Distt. Janjgir-Champa C.G. , Chhattisgarh ... Appellant (Brother of the deceased)

versus

1 - Rameshwar Chandra, S/o Shri Umendram Chandra, Aged About 27 Years, R/o Village Arasiya, P.S.- Jaijaipur, Distt. Janjgir-Champa C.G., Chhattisgarh

2 - Umendram Chandra S/o Shri Dilchand Chandra Aged About 37 Years R/o Village Arasiya, P.S. Jaijaipur, Distt. - Janjgir-Champa C.G., District : Janjgir-

Champa, Chhattisgarh

3 – Punibai, W/o Shri Umendram Chandra, Aged About 47 Years, R/o Village Arasiya, P.S.- Jaijaipur, Distt. - Janjgir-Champa C.G.

4 - State of Chhattisgarh, Through The Station In Charge, P.S.- Jaijaipur, Distt. - Janjgir-Champa C.G., District: Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh .... Respondents For Appellant : Mr. Yogesh Chandra, Advocate For Respondents No. 1 to : Mr. Amit Kumar, Advocate

3/Accused For State/Respondent No. 4 : Mr. Kishan Lal Sahu, Dy. G.A.

Hon'ble Smt Justice Rajani Dubey J. &

Hon’ble Shri Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, J.

C A V Judgement Per , Rajani Dubey, J.

1. The present appeal has been preferred by the appellant against the judgment dated 09.11.2012 passed by learned First Additional Sessions Judge, Sakti, District- Janjgir-Champa (C.G.) in Sessions Trial No. 100/2011, whereby the learned trial Court acquitted the accused/respondents of the charges under Section 304-B/34 of IPC and in alternate Sections 306/34 and 302/34 of IPC.

2. Brief facts of the case are that Rajkumari was married to the accused Rameshwar Chandra in the year 2006. Accused Umendra Ram is the deceased Rajkumari's father-in-law and accused Puni Bai is her mother-in-law. Rajkumari had been living in her in-laws' village- Arsiya, since their marriage and had been working as an Anganwadi worker for two years. After one year of their marriage, accused Rameshwar Prasad Chandra and Umendra Ram had been harassing and assaulting the deceased Rajkumari in connection with demand of dowry and demanding one lakh rupees from her maternal home. Accused Umendra Ram had taken the jewellery of his daughter-in- law/Rajkumari that she had brought from her maternal home, despite this the deceased was subjected to cruelty and harassment from the accused persons regarding the illegal persistent demands of more jewellery. Since Rajkumari had no children, accused Umendra Ram was forcing her into illicit relations with him in order to have children.

Therefore, before 19/07/2010, Rajkumari had been living at her maternal home in village Satgarh and had filed a complaint before S.D.M against the accused persons regarding the cruelty and harassment she was subjected to. She had also given a statement against the accused persons in the Sakti court regarding her subjection to cruelty and harassment. However, after a social meeting in village Kekrabhant was convened, accused Rameshwar Chandra and two other persons took Rajkumari to their house. The accused did not allow Rajkumari to talk on mobile phone at her maternal home. Being fed up by the illegal persistent demands and her subjection to cruelty and harassment by her in-laws, on 10/01/2011 at 7:00 pm, Rajkumari went to her bedroom and committed suicide by pouring kerosene oil on her body and setting herself ablaze. On 10/01/2011, the accused Umendram went to Police Station- Jaijaipur and informed about the above incident, on which, Sub-Inspector S.S. Thakur registered the morgue report vide Ex.P/11. During the investigation, Tehsildar/ Executive Magistrate- Atul Shetty had prepared the panchnama of the dead body of the deceased Rajkumari before the witnesses vide Ex.P/6. The postmortem of Rajkumari's body was conducted by Dr. S.L Banjare, g