KARAN SINGH Vs. STATE OF HARYANA
LAWS(SC)-2025-1-129
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Decided on January 31,2025

KARAN SINGH Appellant
VERSUS
STATE OF HARYANA Respondents

JUDGEMENT

ABHAY S OKA,J. - (1.)The appellant and his parents were tried for the offences punishable under Ss. 304-B and 498-A read with Sec. 34 of the Indian Penal Code (for short, 'IPC'). While his parents were acquitted, the Sessions Court convicted the appellant for the offences punishable under Ss. 304-B and 498-A of IPC. For the offence punishable under Sec. 304-B of IPC, the appellant was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for seven years. For the offence punishable under Sec. 498-A of IPC, he was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year. He was also sentenced to pay a fine of Rs.500.00 and, in default of payment of the fine, to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three months. By the impugned judgment, the High Court has confirmed the conviction and sentence.
(2.)Appellant married to deceased Asha Rani on 25/6/1996. On 2/4/1998, the deceased committed suicide. After the postmortem, the doctors opined that the death was due to asphyxia as a result of hanging. There were three main witnesses. PW-6 - Inder Kala (the mother of the deceased), PW-7 - Parvinder Kumar (brother of the deceased) and PW-8 - Ram Singh (maternal uncle of the deceased). Both the Courts have believed the testimony of PW-6 and PW-7.
SUBMISSIONS

(3.)The learned counsel appearing for the appellant has taken us through the notes of evidence of material prosecution witnesses. He submitted that all the allegations made by the witnesses regarding the demand of dowry are omissions. Therefore, there is no legal evidence to show that the appellant demanded dowry. Moreover, there is no evidence that the appellant subjected the deceased to cruelty. Learned counsel relied upon a decision of this court in the case of Charan Singh alias Charanjit Singh v. State of Uttarakhand,2023 SCC OnLine SC 454 and submitted that there is no evidence to show that soon before her death, the deceased was subjected to cruelty or harassment by the appellant for or in connection with demand for dowry. He would, therefore, submit that in the absence of legal evidence against the appellant, the Courts ought to have acquitted him.


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