MAHESH GROVER,J - (1.) THE Sessions Judge, Hoshiarpur (hereinafter described as 'the trial Court'), vide his judgment dated 1.8.1996, convicted appellant- Parkash Kaur under the provisions of Section 306 of the I.P.C. and sentenced her to undergo rigorous imprisonment for five years and to pay a fine of Rs. 2000/-, in default of payment of which she was directed to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for six months.
(2.) THE facts of the case are that Kulwant Kaur wife of Mohinder Singh (PW4) made a statement (Ex-PL) before the police, on the basis of which formal F.I.R. was recorded, that her daughter-Kuldip Kaur, who was married to Lakhwinder Singh (son of the appellant) about four months earlier, consumed poison at her in-laws' house on 28.4.1995 and committed suicide on account of the mal-treatment meted out to her by the appellant. It was stated that Lakhwinder Singh was living abroad and in his absence, the appellant treated the deceased with cruelty. The police, who had investigated the matter, prima facie found the complicity of the appellant in the commission of the said offence and after submission of challan under Section 173 of the Cr.P.C., the trial Court charged her under Section 306 of the I.P.C. to which she pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.
(3.) THE prosecution, in order to prove its case, examined as many as nine witnesses.;