IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH AT JABALPUR BEFORE HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE VIVEK AGARWAL &

HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE RATNESH CHANDRA SINGH BISEN

th

ON THE 12 OF JANUARY, 2026 CRIMINAL APPEAL No. 3396 of 2018 THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH Versus LAL SINGH AND OTHERS Appearance:

Shri Manas Mani Verma - Govt. Advocate appearing for appellant/State.

J U D G M E N T Per: Justice Ratnesh Chandra Singh Bisen This criminal appeal is filed by the State being aggrieved of the judgment dated 30.10.2015 passed by the learned First Additional Sessions Judge, District Hoshangabad in S.T. No.14/2015 whereby, learned trial Court has acquitted the respondents/accused persons from the charges under Sections 304-B, 306 and 498-A of the IPC.

2. Learned Government Advocate appearing for appellant/State has drawn the attention of this Court to the evidence of prosecution witnesses to point out that the learned trial Court has erred in acquitting the respondents by giving them benefit of doubt as well as on the basis of some minor contradiction and omissions.

3. Learned Government Advocate appearing for the State submits that despite there being sufficient evidence on record as deposed by the prosecution witnesses, trial Court has recorded the finding of acquittal which is perverse and needs to be reversed, therefore, this appeal is filed under Section 378 (1) of Cr.P.C.

4. As per the prosecution story, on information given by Lal Singh Chauhan son of Indrabhan Singh, resident of Mahima Nagar, a Marg case bearing No.27/2014 was registered by A.S.I. K.K. Sharma on 10.04.2014 at about 03:15 a.m. at Police Station Hoshangabad that he works as labourer and his marriage was performed six years ago with Jyoti Chauhan daughter of Hari Singh, they have no children, due to which, his wife Jyoti was worried. On 10.04.2014, he had taken dinner sitting on the terrace, his wife Jyoti had served the food and she went to sleep down and he slept on the terrace. When at about 00:30 a.m., he came down in house to drink water, then he saw inside the house that his wife Jyoti was hanging from fan with a sari noose, then he shouted and woke up the whole family and his mother, father, brother, sister-in-law and daughter-in-law came and villagers had also come, then he opened the trap and climbed down to his wife Jyoti. There was some breathing so an ambulance was called which came after half an hour, who declared dead. After marg investigation, accused persons/respondents were made accused and arrested on

18.06.2014.

5. Shri Manas Mani Verma, learned Government Advocate for the appellant/State submits that in the present case, Vimla Bai Rajput (PW-5) has stated that deceased Jyoti was her younger daughter. She stated that she had five children including three sons and two daughters. She stated that deceased Jyoti's marriage was performed in year 2009 with Lal Singh son of Indrabhan Singh at S.P.M. Hoshangabad. She stated that after few days of marriage, in-laws of deceased were harassing her regarding demand of dowry. This witness stated that her son-in-law Lal Singh from few day was demanding Rs.1 lac and motorcycle and on not carrying he used to threaten to kill her that if she will not bring money, he will not keep her and he aborted twice of my daughter.

6. Heard the learned Govt. Advocate appearing for the appellant/State. 7. On perusal of the record, it appears that within a period of seven year of marriage deceased Jyoti died and also her death was not natural, it means her death was otherwise then under normal circumstances.

8. Marg intimation (Ex.P-1) shows that it was registered on the information of the accused Lal Singh, who is husband of the deceased Jyoti, on dated 10.04.2014 and FIR (Ex.P-14) was registered on 26.04.2014. On perusal of Ex.P-14, it appears that Idla Mourya, S.D.O.P. during the inquiry of marg recorded the statements of relatives of the deceased Vimla Bai Rajput wife of Hari Singh Rajput, Monu Rajput, Kalyan Rajput and on the basis of the statement of the af