A.N.JINDAL,J - (1.) THIS judgment shall dispose of Criminal Appeal No. 164-DB of 1998 filed by the accused-appellants Rajesh Kumar, Suresh Kumar and Krishna Devi (hereinafter referred to as 'the accused') and Criminal Appeal No. 500- DBA of 1998 filed by the State of Haryana against the acquittal of the accused Rajesh Kumar and Suresh Kumar under Section 304-B IPC.
(2.) RAJESH Kumar (husband) and Suresh Kumar (husband's brother) were convicted under Section 498-A IPC, and Krishna Devi (mother-in-law) was convicted under Section 304-B IPC, vide judgment dated 25/26.3.1998 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Hisar, and sentenced as under : Rajesh Kumar and Suresh Kumar U/s 498-A IPC To undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years and to pay fine of Rs. 1000/- each. In default of payment of fine to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month. Krishna Devi U/s 304-B IPC To undergo life imprisonment. Gone are the days of slavery and replaced by exploitation of the weaker sex at the hands of their custodians after marriage. The menace of dowry is taking the enormous end and becoming graver in nature than that of the evil of prostitution and 'sati pratha'. The average class of people, in this material world, in a lust for washing out their poverty and the rich to become richer, find good opportunity, to meet with the situation, of putting their male children to sale in the 'marriage market' and exploit for the purpose, and at the same time they also satisfy their sense of ego, dominance and command. Bride burning is a shame on our society. Poor never resort to it, because it is basically an economic complex. Unfortunately, the high price rise and ever increasing cost of living coupled with enormous growth of consumer goods, effacing difference between luxury and essential goods, appear to be luring even the new generation of youth, of the best service to be as much part of the dowry menace as their parents and resultant evils flowing out of it. The egoistic parents-in-law, husband and his other relatives, infested with lust for dowry treat the bride like an alien forget the spirit of 'live and let live', misbehave, beat and are not afraid of going to the extent of driving her to commit suicide or they themselves even participate in taking her life. It would also not be inappropriate to say that failure to check this evil has given birth to other major problems like "girl foeticide" and "corruption".
(3.) THE present case also relates to a sordid story of an unfortunate bride who could not pass good time at her in-laws' house and with the intervention of the Panchayat, she started living separate with her husband. The in-laws became out-laws and having felt annoyed, even went there, beat her and burnt her to death.;