In Brief
The appellant was convicted of cruelty to his wife Kavitha and abetting her suicide. She died within four months of marriage, allegedly driven to despair by dowry demands and the appellant's illicit affair with another woman. The High Court upheld the conviction. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that psychological harm and mental agony caused by such cruelty constitute sufficient grounds for conviction under Section 306 IPC even without direct action. The Court declined to reduce the sentence, finding leniency misplaced given the short time between marriage and suicide.
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