Vana vs The State of Maharashtra

M.T. Joshi, J—Heard both sides.

Aggrieved by the order of conviction for the offences punishable under section 498-A and 306 of Indian Penal Code and the consequential sentences to suffer rigorous imprisonment for three years and five years, respectively, and to pay fine, as detailed in the order of learned IInd Additional Sessions Judge, Jalgaon passed in Sessions Case No. 242 of 1997, present appeal is preferred by original accused no.1. Rest of the accused i.e. his brother, mother and sister-in-law were acquitted by the learned IInd Additional Sessions Judge.

The prosecution case, in short, is as under:

Deceased Ashabai, daughter of Ramchandra Mali, had married to present appellant about 2 years prior to her unnatural death on 7th August, 1997 due to poisoning at the house of present appellant. The marriage was performed in the lifetime of her father and thereafter, he died. It was agreed that in the marriage, an amount of Rs. 25,000/- in cash would be paid as dowry and from that amount, an amount of Rs. 5,000/- was to be expended on food, Rs. 8,000/- on purchase of new cloths, Rs. 9,000/- for purchase of ornaments of the deceased and Rs. 3,000/- for purchase of utensils. It was agreed that the marriage would be celebrated at the house of present appellant. At the time of purchase of articles, a dispute arose as, accused no. 2 -Ashok i.e. brother of appellant, wanted that some more amount in cash should be given than expending in purchase of clothes (Basta). However, anyhow, the marriage was solemnized.

After the marriage, the deceased started residing in the joint family of the present appellant happily for a period 4-5 months. At the time of Diwali, however, when the deceased had returned to her parental home, she told her parental relatives that the appellant and other accused wanted to sell the ornaments and the same was opposed by the deceased. She also complained that, over the said issue, while rest of the accused used to illtreat her, the appellant used to beat her. Upon that, a message was given to the accused persons that if they were in dire need of money, they could sell the ornaments. Accordingly, the deceased was returned back to her matrimonial home and the ornaments were sold.

Thereafter, however, all the accused started making demand of Rs. 10,000/- for the purpose of building a house. Over the said demand, again they started illtreating the deceased including beating her. She was returned to her parent''s home. After a period of one month after the conciliation, she was again sent back to her matrimonial home, however, illtreatment was continued.

In the circumstances, in the month of April 1997, upon death of her father, her mother P.W. 2 -Kokilabai sold 3 Acre and 27 Gunthas land (it has come in the evidence that the land was sold for Rs. 80,000/-). At that time, all the accused again sent the deceased to her mother to make demand for Rs. 10,000/-. P.W. 2 -Kokilabai, however, did not pay the said amount. Therefore, the deceased was required to return back to her matrimonial home, whereupon, illtreatment was aggravated.

In the meantime, her relative i.e. one Khandu Mahajan has died, who was resident of village Shindi i.e. the place of the accused. Therefore, P.W.2 -Kokilabai visited house of Khandu as well as the house of appellant. At that time also, the deceased repeated the statements of illtreatment to the mother i.e. P.W. 2 - Kokilabai. Thereafter, deceased returned back to the house of her mother at Titvi with a message that the amount of Rs. 10,000/- be paid. At that time, P.W. 2 - Kokilabai anyhow prevailed the deceased and sent her back to the matrimonial home on 4th August, 1997. She, however, died on 7th August, 1997 due to poisoning. Therefore, the complaint came to be filed by her cousin brother i.e. P.W. 1 - Rambhau on the same day, specifying all the above acts.

The investigation was carried by P.W. 9 - Dinkar Pingale, P.S.I. It was found that on 7th August, 1997 at about 1.25 a.m., present appellant had called P.W. 6 -Dr. Digambar Shirude of the same village, to his house as the deceased was not feeling well. Dr.Shirude, upon examination, found that it was a case of poisoning and therefore, he did not treat her and advised the appellant as well as her family members, to shift the deceased to Government Hospital. In the circumstances, in the morning, an accidental death report was filed by the Police Patil of the village, which is admitted at Exhibit - 9. It shows that in the morning at 8.00 a.m., he learnt that deceased Ashabai died.

The investigating officer continued further investigation and recovered a spray pump as well as poison. The post mortem was conducted and viscera was sent to chemical analyst, which showed that the deceased died due to organophosphorus insecticide. After usual investigation like recording of panchanama of the spot of occurrence; recording statements of relatives of deceased, ultimately, charge sheet came to be filed.

Before learned Additional Sessions Judge, besides the witnesses like Medical Officer, Investigating Officer and Panch Witnesses, the relatives of the deceased were examined. P.W. 1 - Rambhau is the complainant and cousin of the deceased. P.W. 2 -Kokilabai is her mother. P.W. 3 -Alka is her sister. P.W. 4 -Shahadu is her uncle. P.W. 3 - Alka, who is sister of the deceased, inter alia, deposed that when the deceased had met her upon death of her uncle Khandu at Shindi, the deceased told her that she was carrying for 3 months and also that she has noticed illicit relationship of the appellant with the wife of his brother on two -three occasions.

The defence of the accused including the appellant was of false implication only on suspicion, though they are innocent. Learned Additional Sessions Judge found that the allegations of beating are against present appellant only. It was observed by learned Additional Sessions Judge that other relatives of the appellant were merely playing the tune with him to support him and therefore, it was held that other accused were not involved in the offence. In the circumstances, conviction came to be recorded only against the present appellant, as detailed supra. Hence, the present appeal.

Mr.K.C. Sant, learned counsel for the appellant, submits that the evidence on record would clearly show that the appellant was from a very poor family. The amount of Rs. 25,000/-, as per the case of prosecution, though was claimed as dowry, but within that amount, the appellant and his family members were required to expend for celebration of the entire marriage of the appellant and deceased, as the marriage function was to be celebrated not in the house of father of woman as per the general practice, but at the house of the appellant himself. Therefore, considering the fact that the marriage expenses is normally beyond the budget, accused no. 2 -Ashok wanted that less amount be expended on purchase of cloths and cash components for celebration of marriage, should be more. This is particularly so, as the F.I.R. itself would show that the father of the deceased namely, Ramchandra Mali, had four daughters and therefore, the marriage of the appellant and deceased was agreed to be solemnized and celebrated within the amount of Rs. 25,000/- at the risk of expenses from the side of the appellant and his family members.

Mr. Sant further submitted that the prosecution case itself would show that permission to sell the ornaments of the deceased amounting to Rs. 9,000/-, was given by her mother if the appellant and his family members were in dire need of money. The prosecution evidence further would show that the amount of Rs. 10,000/- was asked from the mother of the deceased i.e. P.W. 2 - Kokilabai, as she had sold the field inherited from her husband i.e. the father of the deceased, for a consideration of Rs. 80,000/-. It has become an admitted fact during trial, that the joint family of the appellant was having a very small house consisting of two rooms and veranda and therefore, in order to build an additional room, the amount of Rs. 10,000/- even if assumed to have been demanded from the share of the deceased, from the sale proceeds of the field. It is the case of prosecution that the mother of deceased, however, refused to give said share of Rs. 10,000/- and ultimately, thereafter, deceased died due to poisoning.

In the circumstances, Mr. Sant submitted that all these alleged facts are made capital of upon death of the deceased, to show that there was unlawful demand of money for which, the deceased was treated cruelly resulting into her suicide. He further submitted that only P.W. 3 - Alka has deposed about the illicit relationship of the appellant with his sister-in-law. Even mother of the deceased i.e. P.W. 2 -Kokilabai is silent on the same. He, therefore, submitted that learned Additional Sessions Judge ought to have extended benefit of doubt and acquitted the present appellant also.

On the other hand, learned A.P.P. submitted that the prosecution evidence would clearly show that soon from the date of arrangement of the marriage, present appellant and his family members had dispute with the parental relatives of the deceased over money. The deceased was illtreated and beaten by the present appellant over said demand. The conduct of P.W. 3 -Alka in not disclosing private talk between her and deceased regarding illicit relationship, is natural and hence, he submitted that the appeal be dismissed.

On the basis of this material, following points arise my determination :

I) Whether the prosecution has proved that the deceased met with suicidal death?

II) Whether the prosecution has proved that the present appellant has subjected the deceased to cruelty during her co-habitation with him?

III) Whether the prosecution has further proved that the present appellant has abetted commission of suicide by the deceased?

My findings, as to point I is in the affirmative and as to points II and III, are in the negative. The appeal is therefore, allowed for the reasons to follow.

REASONS

Learned Additional Sessions Judge has remarked that the conduct of the present appellant in not taking the deceased to the Government Hospital against the advice of P.W. 6 - Dr. Digambar Shirdue, is suspicious. It is only in the morning, when the Police Patil came to know from other persons about death of the deceased, the Police Patil filed the accidental death report. Therefore, observations were made by learned Additional Sessions Judge that the conduct of the appellant in this regard, cannot be ignored. According to learned Additional Sessions Judge, the silence maintained by the appellant speaks volume.

It should, however, be noted that as per the case of prosecution itself, at 1.25 a.m. in the midnight the appellant went to P.W. 6 -Dr. Digmabar Shirude and took him to his house for examination of the deceased. Dr.Shirude showed his helplessness in giving treatment and advised the appellant to take the deceased to the Government Hospital. It should be noted that the appellant is resident of Shindi, Taluka Bhadgaon, Dist. Jalgaon. The dead body was carried for post mortem examination at Bhadgaon, as is clear from the post mortem examination note Exhibit -13. The record would show that the appellant is a poor agriculturist from village. When after 1.30 a.m. he failed to make any arrangement for taking the deceased to Bhadgaon i.e. a Taluka Place, and in the meantime, the deceased died, the same could not have been branded as a suspicious circumstance. The very fact that the appellant and his family members had called Dr.Shirude at their house, would rather allay such suspicion.

The learned Additional Sessions Judge has accepted the oral testimony of relatives of the deceased. Though in the F.I.R. the dispute regarding cash component at the time of marriage was shown as one of the greedy conduct of the appellant or his family members, the entire evidence on record, as detailed supra, would show that the appellant and his family members had bounded themselves to perform and celebrate the marriage within the amount of Rs. 25,000/- at their own house. In the circumstances, if some of the family members have tried to prevail by making saving in the expenses over clothes etc. to keep the cash components higher, the same cannot be called as an unlawful demand.

As regards the illtreatment over a demand of Rs. 10,000/-, the prosecution evidence itself would show that though the appellant was residing in the joint family, they had insufficient accommodation. The amount of Rs. 10,000/- was therefore demanded from the mother of the deceased i.e. P.W. 2 -Kokilbai, not as an unlawful demand but from the amount of Rs. 80,000/- i.e. sale proceeds of the field which was left behind by father of the deceased. The prosecution case itself would show that the mother of the deceased refused to pay Rs. 10,000/- and after conciliation, the deceased was returned back to her matrimonial home whereupon, within three days, the deceased committed suicide. After considering all these facts on record, in the light of the above discussion, in my view, learned Additional Sessions Judge ought to have extended benefit of doubt to present appellant also. Learned Additional Sessions Judge, however, found the above alleged acts as unlawful demand and therefore, accepted the theory of the illtreatment over the same and ultimately, convicted the appellant.

As regards the evidence regarding the alleged illicit relationship of the appellant with his sister-in-law, according to P.W. 3 -Alka, at the time of death their uncle Khandu at village Shindi, she firstly went to village Titvi as the deceased was at Titvi and thereafter, both the sisters went to Shindi. While on the way to Shindi, the deceased disclosed about said illicit relationship to P.W. 3 -Alka. At that time, the deceased also told P.W. 3 -Alka that she should not disclose the fact of illicit relationship to anybody and in case the same is disclosed, there may be severe illtreatment to her. What is meant by all this evidence is that, this fact should not be made known to any of the matrimonial relatives of the deceased. According to P.W. 3 -Alka, the deceased was camping at Titvi i.e. house of her mother. Therefore, it would have been natural for the deceased to disclose about the said illicit relationship to her mother as, according to the prosecution, the deceased has disclosed her mother about other instances of illtreatment. Further the period of said alleged illicit relationship is also not disclosed.

Considering the overall facts on record, in view of the above discussion, I am of the opinion that learned Additional Sessions Judge ought to have given benefit of doubt to the present appellant also and acquitted him.

Hence, the following order :-

i] The appeal is hereby allowed.

ii] The judgment and order dated 03.03.2001 passed by learned IInd Additional Sessions Judge, Jalgaon in Sessions Case No. 242 of 1997 convicting present appellant for the offences punishable under section 498-A and 306 of Indian Penal Code, is hereby set aside. Instead, the appellant is acquitted of the above offences.

iii] His bail bond stands cancelled.

iv] Fine amount if any, deposited by him, be refunded to him.

v] The order of learned IInd Additional Sessions Judge, as regards disposal of muddemal property, is hereby maintained.