CHANDRAMA SINGH Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Both appeals arise out of the same judgment and order dated 20.12.2002 passed by Shri N.P. Singh, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Sasaram in Sessions Trial No. 582 of 1997. Six persons including these appellants were put on trial for committing dowry death out of whom two ladies accused, namely, Deo Ratan Devi and Mira Devi have been acquitted. Rest four accused persons who are appellants have been convicted under Sections 304-B and 201, IPC and are sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for ten years under Section 304-B, IPC and rigorous imprisonment for two years under Section 201, IPC with a direction that both the sentences shall run concurrently.

(2.) The prosecution story as revealed in Fardbeyan Ext. 1 lodged by Smt. Shanti Devi (P.W. 4) is as follows : The deceased Ram Kali Devi, daughter of the informant was married with accused appellant Upendra Singh in the year 1992-93. After two years of the marriage the ceremony of Donga (second marriage) was performed on 19.11.1995. Thereafter, the deceased came to her husband's place and began to live with him. It is alleged by the informant that since from very beginning the accused-appellants were demanding TV. as dowry from her to which she expressed her inability to meet.

(3.) It has been further alleged that in the last week of June, 1996 the informant received a secret information regarding murder of her daughter by her husband and in-laws. Thereafter, she sent her son Niranjan Kumar Singh (P.W. 1) to the place of accused-appellants to enquire about her daughter Ram Kali Devi and then she came to know that her daughter was actually murdered on 27.6.1996 by the accused-appellants and her dead body was secretly disposed of without giving any information to her and her family members. It has further been alleged that when P.W. 1 tried to ascertain about the facts of her death he was driven out by the accused appellants and they told him that they would fight cases even by selling their lands.