In Brief
A woman died from rat poison six months after her marriage to the accused husband. The prosecution alleged that the husband and his mother (the appellants) demanded dowry, harassed and beat the deceased, and caused her suicide. Both the Trial Court and High Court convicted the appellants under Sections 306 and 498A IPC. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, finding the evidence of dowry demand, harassment, and threats credible, and the presumption under Section 113-A of the Evidence Act satisfied. However, the Court modified the sentences: appellant No. 1 (mother-in-law, age 75) was sentenced to time already undergone; appellant No. 2 (husband) was reduced from 5 years to 2 years, as family relations had become cordial following his remarriage to the deceased's cousin.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.