Husband, mother-in-law get 8 yrs jail in dowry death case

A man along with his mother has been sentenced to eight years in jail by a Delhi court for the cruel treatment meted out to his wife for dowry which led to her death within three years of their marriage

New Delhi: A man along with his mother has been sentenced to eight years in jail by a Delhi court for the cruel treatment meted out to his wife for dowry which led to her death within three years of their marriage. The court held victim Santosh's husband Kaptan Singh and her mother-in-law Prem Lata, residents of Delhi, guilty of subjecting her to cruelty and harassment and demanding dowry.

"The prosecution has been able to prove by oral testimony of witnesses coupled with scientific and medical evidence that soon before her death, Santosh was subjected to cruelty and harassment by her husband and her mother-in-law for or in connection with dowry demand," Additional Sessions Judge Yashwant Kumar said. The judge awarded eight years rigorous imprisonment to Kaptan and Prem Lata under sections 304-B/34 (dowry death and common intention) and three years under section 498-A (subjecting a woman to cruelty by husband or his relatives) of the IPC along with a fine of Rs 10,000 each.

The court made it clear that both the sentences will run concurrently. Santosh's father-in-law and brother-in-law, who were also arrested on charges of dowry death and harassment, were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence. According to the police, on November 5, 2010, Santosh's parents were informed by her husband that she had hanged herself from a ceiling fan in her matrimonial house.

The victim's father Baljeet Singh lodged a complaint at Rani Bagh Police Station in north west Delhi against his daughter's in-laws alleging that physical torture was meted out to her. He told the police that he had got his daughter married to Kaptan in 2007 and three months after the marriage, she was regularly beaten up with demands of dowry by her in-laws.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!