- (1.) Neelam Rani, wife of the appellant, died of burns on 17-6-1987. Her husband, the present appellant, and his father and grand-mother were arrayed as accused before the Sessions Court in connection with the death of Neelam Rani charging them with offences under Sections 302, 304-B and 498-A of the I.P.C. The Sessions Court acquitted the grand-mother, who was in her eighties, but convicted the appellant as well as his father of all offences and sentenced them to imprisonment for life. The High Court of Punjab and Haryana on the joint appeal filed by those convicted persons acquitted appellants father but confirmed the conviction of the appellant under Section 302, I.P.C. The High Court pointed out that in view of the said conviction it was unnecessary to maintain the conviction under the other two offences. Appellant filed this appeal by special leave in challenge of the said conviction and sentence.
(2.) There seems to be no dispute on the fact that Neelam Rani died of burns on 17-6-1987. The prosecution case in brief is that appellant was persecuting her with the demand for more dowry and at last set her ablaze for not quenching his greed for dowry. On the other hand the stand of the appellant, when questioned under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, was that by frustration as she could not give birth to a child and as she could not adjust in the village life with the appellant, she committed suicide by burning herself.
(3.) The High Court counted some circumstances, in the absence of any eye-witnesses, and reached the conclusion that the circumstances have concatenated themselves into a complete chain establishing that appellant had killed her by setting her ablaze after dousing her with kerosene.;