SUNITA GOSWAMI Digitally signed by SUNITA GOSWAMI Date: 2026.04.30

10:34:41 +0530 2026:CGHC:19844-DB NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR ACQA No. 43 of 2020 Girdhari Lal Sahu S/o Late Shri Bhaunath Sahu, Aged About 64 Years R/o Village Ring Road Risadi Chowk, Maruti Medical Stores, Thana Balco, Civil And Revenue, District Korba (CG)

... Appellant versus

1 - State of Chhattisgarh, Through District Magistrate Korba, District Korba, (CG)

2 - Smt. Usha Bai Sahu W/o Shri Gendram Sahu, Aged About 50 Years R/o Ompur Colony, Quarter No. B/31, Police Outpost Rajgamar, District Korba, (CG)

3 - Narayan Sahu S/o Shri Gendram Sahu, Aged About 27 Years R/o Village Baksara, Pantora, Police Station Balouda, District Janjgir-Champa, (CG)

4 - Smt. Gayatri Sahu W/o Shri Shatrughan Sahu, Aged About 30 Years R/o Village Mudpar, Police Station Hasoud, District Janjgir-Champa, (CG)

5 - Ku. Sunita Sahu D/o Shri Gendram Sahu, Aged About 24 Years R/o Village Baksara, Pantora, Police Station Balouda, District Janjgir-Champa, (CG)

6 - Shatrughan Sahu S/o Shri Nawdharam Sahu, Aged About 33 Years R/o Village Mudpar, Police Station Hasoud, District Janjgir-Champa, (CG)

7 - Gautam Lal Sahu S/o Shri Gendram Sahu, Aged About 34 Years R/o Village Baksara, Pantora, Police Station Balouda, District Janjgir-Champa, (CG)

---- Respondents For Appellant/Complainant : Mr. Samir Singh, Advocate For State/Respondent No.1 : Ms. K. Radhika, Panel Lawyer For Respondents No.2 to 6 : None For Respondent No.7 : Ms. Shaleen Siddique, Advocate Division Bench Hon'ble Shri Justice Sanjay S. Agrawal &

Hon'ble Shri Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas Judgment on Board

29.04.2026 Per Sanjay S. Agrawal, J.

1. This appeal has been preferred by the Complainant under proviso to Section 372 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, questioning the legality and propriety of the judgment dated 23.10.2019, passed by the First Additional Sessions Judge, Korba, District Korba (CG) in Sessions Trial No.10/2014 (Crime No.142/2013), whereby, the respondents have been acquitted with regard to the offence punishable under Sections 306/34 and 304-B of IPC.

2. From perusal of the record, it appears that the marriage of the deceased, namely, Smt. Meena Sahu was solemnized with the Respondent No.7- Gautam Lal Sahu on 10/02/2008 in accordance with Hindu rites and rituals and she started living with her in-laws in the matrimonial house, who, however, after six months came to her parental house and has committed suicide on 17/06/2013 by hanging herself, owing to which, her grandfather, namely, Muritram Sahu has lodged the Merg intimation (Ex.P-1) before the Police Station, Balco Nagar of District Korba, stating therein, that she has committed suicide while hanging herself on the ceiling fan. It appears that based upon the alleged intimation, an enquiry was conducted and based upon which, an FIR (Ex.P-15) was registered against the respondents on 06/07/2013 for the offence punishable under Section

306/34 of IPC, as during investigation, it was revealed that she was mentally and physically harassed and tortured by her husband and in-laws immediately after the solemnization of her marriage as she came with inadequate dowry. Inquest of the dead body was conducted vide Ex.P-5 and was sent for autopsy, which was conducted by Dr. O.S. Kanwar (PW-11), who vide her report (Ex.P- 11) opined the cause of death to be asphyxia occurred on account of hanging and, during further investigation, a suicidal note was recovered from the table of the deceased on 17/06/2013 vide Ex.P-7, marked as Article ‘A’, while other of her notes were recovered on 28/06/2013 from the possession of her brother, namely, Uttam Kumar Sahu vide Ex.P-9, which was marked as Article ‘B’. After completion of the due investigation, the charge-sheet was submitted before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Korba for the offence punishable under Section 306/34 of IPC and the matter was thereafter, committed to the concerned trial Court, where based upon the materia