Rajaram Alias Raja vs State of Madhya Pradesh

Hon''ble Shri Justice N.K. Gupta, J.—This criminal appeal is preferred by the appellant being aggrieved by the judgment and order of sentence dated 6/12/1996 passed by the First Additional Sessions Judge, Seoni in ST No. 152/1993, whereby the appellant was convicted for commission of offence punishable u/s 306 of IPC and sentenced for five years'' rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs. 300/-. In default of payment of fine amount, he was to undergo for one month''s simple imprisonment in addition. The prosecution''s case, in short, is that the deceased Sunita Bai had expired on 24.5.1993 at about 9:30 PM in the night due to burn injuries which were caused at her house situated at Village Kohka (Police Station Lakhanwada District Seoni). The marriage ceremony of the deceased Sunita Bai took place with the appellant in the past. On 25.5.1993 an intimation was given by Dr. B.P. Namdeo to the Police Station Seoni that the victim Sunita Bai, who was admitted in the Government Hospital, Seoni had expired, and therefore a case was registered by the Police Station Seoni. A panchnama-lash was prepared and the dead body of the deceased Sunita Bai was sent for the postmortem. Dr. A.K. Saravgi (PW-9) had performed the postmortem on the body of the deceased Sunita Bai. He found that she sustained 95% burn injuries on her body, and therefore she died due to such injuries. Since the appellant was residence of Village Kohka which was in the jurisdiction of Police Station Lakhanwada, therefore the case was registered at the Police Station Lakhanwada. After due investigation, a charge sheet was filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Seoni, who committed the case to the Sessions Judge, Seoni and ultimately it was transferred to the First Additional Sessions Judge, Seoni.

The appellant-accused abjured his guilt. He took a specific plea that the deceased was kept with comfort. No cruelty was done with the deceased. It was a case of accident. The deceased did not commit the suicide. The appellant was falsely implicated in the matter. In defence, Kunjilal (DW-1) and Lekhram (DW-2) were examined.

The learned First Additional Sessions Judge after considering the evidence adduced by the parties acquitted the parents of the appellant from all the charges, but convicted the present appellant for commission of offence punishable u/s 306 of IPC and sentenced as mentioned above.

I have heard the learned counsel for the parties.

The learned counsel for the appellant has submitted that the deceased died after ten years of her marriage, and therefore presumption u/s 113A of the Evidence Act was not applicable. In this connection, a judgment passed by this Court in the case of Devi Singh Rattan Singh Vs. State of Madhya Pradesh, was referred. It is further argued that looking at the testimony of the various witnesses including the parents of the deceased, it appears that there was no harassment to the deceased as such, and after the death of the deceased the parents and relatives of the deceased had made omnibus allegations against the appellant. Neither those allegations fall within the view of Section 107 of IPC nor they are sufficient to prove the cruelty of the appellant for commission of offence punishable u/s 498A of IPC. No offence u/s 306 of IPC is made out against the appellant. The learned counsel for the appellant has also placed his reliance on the judgment of Hon''ble the Apex Court in the case of "Kishangiri Mangalgiri Goswami Vs. State of Gujarat", [2009(2) MPLJ (Cri) 80]. In the alternate, it is submitted that the appellant remained in the custody for four months, and therefore if he is found guilty of offence u/s 498A of IPC, then his sentence may be reduced to the period which he has already undergone in the custody, because he has faced the trial and appeal for last 19 years.

On the other hand, learned counsel for the State has argued in support of the impugned judgment on the ground that conviction and sentence directed by the trial Court appears to be correct, hence no interference is warranted by this Court.

After considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties and looking at the facts and circumstances of the case, it is to be considered as to whether the appeal filed by the appellant can be accepted? Whether the appellant can be convicted for commission of offence punishable u/s 498A of IPC? If yes, what would be the sentence imposed against him?

The deceased Sunita Bai died due to 95% burns. It was mentioned in the postmortem report Ex.P-5 by Dr. A.K. Saravgi (PW-9) that she died due to such burn injuries and looking at the percentage of injuries the incident could not be caused by an accident. There is no allegation that the death of the deceased was homicidal. Under such circumstances, where the death of the deceased was neither a natural one, homicidal nor an accidental, then looking at the merge intimation Ex.P-1 it must be a suicide.

Nanhi Bai (PW-2), mother of the deceased, Bhikam Singh (PW-3) father of the deceased, Dulari Bai (PW-4) aunt of the deceased and Chandan (PW-5) maternal grand father of the deceased were examined to show about the behaviour of the appellant with the deceased. Each of them have admitted that the marriage of the deceased took place eight years prior to her death, and therefore according to the provisions of Section 113A of the Evidence Act, such provisions are not applicable in the present case, because the death of the deceased took place eight years of her marriage. Nanhi Bai, Bhikam Singh and Dulari Bai have stated that the deceased was kept with comfort in first 6-7 years of her marital life. All the problems were created with her in the last two years of her life. They have stated that when the deceased informed them about the harassment and cruelty done by the appellant, she was held in her parental house for four months. However, if the conduct of the appellant and the witnesses as observed in their case diary statements about the holding of four months is assessed, then it would be apparent that no Panchayat was called by the parents of the deceased. No blame was intimated to the appellant. On the contrary, Chandan (PW-5) has stated that when he went to drop the deceased to the house of the appellant, the appellant was not ready to take her in the house, because she stayed in her parents'' house for four months without any reason. Chandan did not say that he blamed the appellant that due to his cruelty the deceased was kept for four months in her parents'' house. Under such circumstances, it is apparent that the deceased was not kept for four months in her house due to cruelty and harassment done by the appellant, but since she was kept for four months in her parents'' house without any reason, therefore the appellant was annoyed and he was not permitting her to come inside the house. Therefore, the allegations made by these witnesses that the deceased was handled with cruelty by the appellant appears to be incorrect.

Chandan (PW-5) has stated that when the deceased went inside the house, then the appellant assaulted her. However, he had not stated such a fact in his case diary statement Ex.D-2, and therefore his allegation that the appellant assaulted the deceased before him appears to be incorrect. According to the witnesses Nanhi Bai, Bhikam Singh and Dulari Bai, the deceased died after six months of her visit to the appellant''s house when she was detained for four in her parents'' house.

The witnesses have stated about the various harassment and cruelty for the period prior to the detention of the deceased in the house of her parents. They have also alleged that the appellant was demanding for five acres of land, and therefore the deceased was assaulted, but such allegation was not made by these witnesses in their case diary statements, and therefore such allegations were after thought, which cannot be believed. As discussed above, when the deceased was kept with comfort for 6-7 years of her marriage, then what was the problem created in last one or two years so that the appellant handled her with cruelty? The witnesses could not establish the behaviour of the appellant that the deceased was handled with the cruelty in last two years. Their statements are not acceptable for the period after which the deceased was kept in her parents'' house. Ultimately, it is to be seen as to whether in the last six months of her life, the appellant harassed her?

Nanhi Bai (PW-2) has stated that when the deceased was sent back to the house of the appellant, she was not given any work inside the house and for eight days she was directed to do the outer work of the house. It is not stated by the witness Nanhi Bai (PW-2) that after eight days whether the deceased was accepted in the house or not. Nanhi Bai has stated that the deceased came to her house four months prior to her death, but she has not mentioned that in her last visit, whether she did any complaint about the behaviour of her husband. On the contrary, Bhimkam Singh (PW-3) has stated that when the deceased was sent to the house of the appellant after detaining her for four months, thereafter she did not come back to the house of her parents, and therefore the story told by Nanhi Bai that the deceased came to her house four months prior to her death appears to be incorrect. All the witnesses including Bhikam Singh, Dulari, Chandan and Babulal (PW-8) could not say anything about the behaviour of the appellant in last six months of the life of the deceased, and therefore by their evidence it cannot be said that the deceased was dealt with cruelty in that period of six months by the appellant.

Under such circumstances, the witnesses could not prove that the deceased who was kept with comfort for 7-8 years, suddenly dealt with cruelty or overt-act of the appellant was of such a nature so that it could fall with the essential ingredients of Section 107 of IPC. Under such circumstances, the learned Additional Sessions Judge has erred in convicting the appellant for commission of offence punishable u/s 306 of IPC. The appellant cannot be convicted for such an offence.

If the appellant is acquitted for the offence u/s 306 of IPC, then still his conduct may be considered for the offence punishable u/s 498A of IPC. However, looking at the evidence adduced by the parents and relatives of the deceased, it appears that there was no cruelty done by the appellant to the deceased in first eight years of her marriage life. The witnesses could not prove any cruelty of the appellant for which the deceased was detained for four months in the house of her parents. On the contrary, it is proved by their own conduct that the deceased was detained in her parents'' house without any reason and in last six months, there is no knowledge to these witnesses as to whether the deceased had any problem in the house of the appellant or not. Under such circumstances, looking at the evidence of various witnesses no cruelty is proved beyond doubt against the appellant. There is no reason established on the record by which the deceased committed suicide. Under such circumstances, the appellant cannot be convicted for the offence u/s 498A of IPC even.

On the basis of the aforesaid discussion, where the appellant cannot be convicted for the offence u/s 306 of IPC or for the offence u/s 498A of IPC, then the appeal of the appellant deserves to be allowed. Consequently, it is allowed. The conviction and sentence directed by the trial Court vide its judgment dated 6.12.1996 in ST No. 152/1993 are hereby set aside. The appellant is acquitted from all the charges appended against him including the charge of offence u/s 498A of IPC. He shall be entitled to get the fine amount back if he has deposited before the trial Court.

At present the appellant is on bail. His presence is no more required, therefore it is directed that his bail bonds shall stand discharged. A copy of this judgment be sent to the trial Court with its record for information and compliance.