In Brief
A woman died from severe burns on Diwali 1991. Her family alleged the appellant (husband), father-in-law, and mother-in-law harassed her for dowry and set her ablaze. The trial court convicted all three under Section 304-B IPC (dowry death) for seven years; the High Court upheld the conviction of the appellant but acquitted his father. On appeal, the Supreme Court found the dying declaration (recorded 3 days after the incident) unreliable due to alleged tutoring by relatives, internal inconsistencies, and conflict with the doctor's initial account. The investigating officer had concluded it was a self-immolation case. Absent credible evidence of dowry harassment, the Court acquitted the appellant of all charges.
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