S.C.No.270 of 2013
IN THE COURT OF THE PRINCIPAL SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE AT
MANCHERIAL
Present: N. Santosh Kumar,
Senior Civil Judge, Nirmal
FAC : Principal Senior Civil Judge, Mancherial,
MONDAY, THE TWENTY FIFTH DAY OF FEBRUARY
TWO THOUSAND AND NINETEEN
S.C.No.270 of 2013
(On committal by Sri. K. Jayaram Reddy, Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Chennur in P.R.C.No.9 of 2013, dt.16.07.2013 in Cr.No.21/2012 of Police Station, Jaipur)
Name of the Complainant : The State through the SubInspector of Police, Police Station, Jaipur.
Name of the Accused: Jummidi Thirupathi, s/o.Bhumaiah, Age:23 years, occ: Coolie, r/o.Arepalli village, Jaipur mandal.
Offence alleged against the: Under Sections 306 and 498A I.P.C. accused
Plea of the Accused: Pleaded not guilty.
Finding of the Accused: Found not guilty.
Order of sentence or acquittal: The Accused is found not guilty of the offences punishable under Sections 306 and 498A I.P.C. and accordingly the accused is acquitted under Sec.235(1) Cr.P.C. for the said offences. The bail bonds of accused shall be in force for six months as contemplated under section 437A Cr.P.C.
This Sessions case is coming on before me for final hearing on 18.02.2019 in the presence of Sri N. Raj Kumar, Additional Public Prosecutor for the State and of Sri M. Ravinder Rao, Advocate for accused and having heard and stood over for determination till today, this Court delivered the following:
J U D G M E N T
The State through the SubInspector of Police, Police Station,
Jaipur has filed the chargesheet against the accused for the offences
S.C.No.270 of 2013 2 punishable under Sections 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as ‘I.P.C’).
2. The brief case of the prosecution is that on 25.12.2012 at about 4.00 p.m. the defacto complainant by name Sri Balla Sammaiah (PW.1) came to police station, Jaipur and lodged a report stating that, his elder sister Krishnaveni (hereinafter referred to “deceased”) committed suicide by hanging. Hence Pw1 lodged a report requesting for necessary action.
3.Basing on the Report lodged by PW1 Balla Sammaiah, PW9
Sri.J.Shyamsunder, SubInspector of Police, Police Station, Jaipur registered a case in Crime No.211/2012 306 IPC by registering FIR.
During the course of investigation, PW9 Sri. J.Shyamsunder, Sub
Inspector of Police, Police Station, Jaipur examined and recorded the statement of defacto complainant Balla Sammaiah (PW1) besides visited the scene of offence, observed the scene of offence, secured the presence of two mediators; and prepared the scene of offence panchanama by incorporating the details in Crime Details Form and seized Chunni pieces from the scene of offence. Later Inquest over the dead body of deceased was held at Government Hospital, Mancherial in the presence of mediators and autopsy over the dead body of the deceased was conducted and it is opined that the cause of the death of deceased was due to cardio respiratory arrest due to neurogenic secondary to asphixio following hanging. In the meantime, on 29.12.2012 the accused was apprehended and on interrogation, the accused confessed to have committed the offence pertains to this case,
S.C.No.270 of 2013 3 hence the accused was arrested and produced before the concerned
Magistrate Court for judicial custody. During the course of investigation,
it was revealed that the Accused has subjected the deceased to cruelty and abetted her to commit suicide. After completion of investigation,
PW.9 filed the charge sheet against the accused for the offence punishable under Secs.306 and 498A IPC before the learned Judicial
Magistrate of First Class, Chennur.
4.Later on filing and verification of the said Charge sheet, the learned Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Chennur took cognizance of the offences punishable under Secs.306 and 498A I.P.C. against the accused and registered the same as P.R.C.No.9/2013. Later by following the procedure prescribed by law, the learned Judicial Magistrate of First
Class, Chennur furnished the copies of documents to the accused as required under Sec.207 Cr.P.C. and thereafter committed the case to the
Hon'ble Principal District and Sessions Court, Adilabad as per
procedure. Later, the Hon'ble Principal District Sessions Court,
Adilabad, in turn, registered this case as S.C.No.270/2013 and made over it to this Court for disposal according to law.
5.After hearing both sides and after considering the material on record, the charges for the offences punishable under Secs.306 and 498A I.P.C. were framed against the accused, the contents of the same were read over and explained to him in his vernacular language, for
S.C.No.270 of 2013 4 which the accused has denied the charges, pleaded not guilty and claimed to be tried.
6.In order to prove its case, the prosecution has examined
PW.1 to PW.9 and got marked Exs.P1 to P11 on its behalf. PW.1 Balla
Sammiah is the defacto complainant and brother of the deceased. PW.2
Balla Durgamma is the mother of the deceased. PW.3 Balla Kumar is the younger brother of the deceased. PW.4 Jadi Mallaiah elder maternal uncle of deceased. PW.5 Sundilla Gattaiah is the mediator for scene of offence and inquest. PW.6 Balla Malleshwari is the younger sister of the deceased. PW.7 Dr.M.Yashwanth Rao is the Medical Officer who conducted autopsy over the dead body of the deceased and issued P.M.E.
report. PW.8 Sri Jangidi Ramesh, photographed the dead body of the deceased. PW.9 J.Shyam Sunder, Investigation Officer who filed charge sheet against the accused.
7.After closure of the evidence of all prosecution witnesses, the accused was examined under Sec.313 Cr.P.C. by placing before him the incriminating circumstances appearing in the evidence of prosecution witnesses, for which the accused has denied the incriminating evidence placed before him and reported no evidence in support of his defence.
8.Heard the arguments on both sides and perused the material on record.
9.Basing on the contention on both sides, now the point for determination before this court is:
S.C.No.270 of 2013 5 “Whether the prosecution has established its case
against the accused for the charges under
Sections 306 and 498A I.P.C. beyond all
reasonable doubt?”
10.POINT:To bring home the guilt of the accused for the offence punishable Under Sections 306 and 498A IPC, the Prosecution has able to prove that the accused being the husband of deceased subjected the deceased to cruelty by harassing her both mentally and physically and consequently the deceased was died due to abetment of accused.
11.Sri. Balla Sammaiah is the Defacto complainant and elder brother of the deceased examined as PW.1 and according to him, the marriage of his sister Krishnaveni was performed with the accused in the year 2012 and thereafter both of them lived happily for some time after that she was suffered with stomach ache and unable to bear the said stomach ache, his deceased sister Krishnaveni hang herself and was died. Thereafter he went to the police station Jaipur, where the police have obtained his signature under Ex.P1 on white blank paper. Thus,
PW.1 did not support the prosecution case and turned hostile. Therefore, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor with the permission of the court, declared PW.1 as hostile and cross examined PW.1 to elicit the truth. In spite of the cross examination of PW.1 by the learned
Additional Public Prosecutor, nothing in favour of the prosecution was
elicited, except placing certain suggestions about the involvement of accused, but the same have been denied by PW.1. PW.1 in his cross examination also denied to have given his 161 Cr.P.C. statement to the
Police as in Ex.P2.
S.C.No.270 of 2013 6
12.Smt. Balla Durgamma and Sri Balla Kumar are the mother and younger brother of deceased examined as PW.2 and 3 respectively and according to them, the marriage of Krishnaveni was performed with the accused in the year 2012 and thereafter both of them lived happily for some time after that she was suffered with stomach ache and unable to bear the said stomach ache, the deceased Krishnaveni hang herself and was died. Thus, PW.2 and 3 did not support the prosecution case and turned hostile. Therefore, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor with the permission of the court, declared PW.2 and 3 as hostile and cross examined PW.2 and 3 to elicit the truth. In spite of the cross examination of PW.2 and 3 by the learned Additional Public Prosecutor, nothing in favour of the prosecution was elicited, except placing certain suggestions about the involvement of accused, but the same have been denied by PW.2 and 3 and they also denied to have given their 161
Cr.P.C. statements to the Police as in Exs.P3 and P4 respectively.
13.Sri Jadi Mallaiah and Kum. Balla Malleshwari are the elder maternal uncle and younger sister of the deceased examined as
PWs.4 and 6 respectively; according to them, the deceased Krishnaveni was died by hanging due to unbearable stomach ache. Thus, PWs.4 and 6 did not support the prosecution case about the involvement of accused and turned hostile. Therefore, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor with the permission of the court, declared PWs.4 and 6 as hostile and cross examined PWs.4 and 6 to elicit the truth. In spite of the cross examination of PWs.4 and 6 by the learned Additional Public Prosecutor,
S.C.No.270 of 2013 7 nothing in favour of the prosecution was elicited. PWs.4 and 6 in their cross examination denied to have given their 161 Cr.P.C. statements to the Police as in Exs.P5 and P8 respectively.
14.Sri Sundilla Gattaiah is the mediator for scene of offence and inquest panchanama examined as PW.5 and according to him, about 6 years ago on one day the Police Jaipur have conducted scene of offence by incorporating the details of scene of offence in Ex.P6 Crime
Details Form and conducted Ex.P7 inquest panchanamas in his presence and in the presence of Kamatham Balaiah/LW.10.
15. Dr. M. Yashwanth Rao is the then Civil Asst. Surgeon, Govt.
Area Hospital, Mancherial examined as PW.7 and according to him, he autopsy over the dead body of the deceased Krishnaveni and issued
Ex.P9 Post Mortem Examination report.
16.Sri Jangidi Ramesh is the photographer examined as PW.8 and according to him, on 25.12.2012 the Police Jaipur have summoned him for taking the photographs of the dead body of a deceased woman and accordingly he obtained Ex.P10 consist of 6 positive colour photographs and handed over the same to the Police, Jaipur.
17.Sri J. Shyam Sunder is thethen SubInspector of Police,
Jipuar and the Investigating Officer examined as PW.9 and according to him, on 20.05.2012 basing on report lodged by PW.1, he registered a case in Cr.NO.211/2012 for the offence Under Section 306 IPC by
S.C.No.270 of 2013 8 issuing Ex.P11 First Information Report. Pw9 further deposed that later he visited the scene of offence and conducted scene offence and inquest panchanamas, in the presence of two mediators and recorded the statement of PW.1 and got photographed the dead body of the deceased by PW.8 and seized two pieces Chunni used by the deceased to hang and sent the dead body of the deceased to the duty Medical Officer at the
Government Hospital Mancherial for autopsy and thereafter he recorded the 161 Cr.P.C. statements of other witnesses. On reliable information, he apprehended the accused at Arepalli village, on oral interrogation, the accused confessed to have committed the offence, hence he arrested the accused and produce before the concerned court for judicial custody and after concluding the entire investigation, he filed charge sheet against the accused.
18. In the present case on hand, the accused is charged for the offences under section 498A and 306 IPC. In these circumstances, it is relevant to go through the provisions of Sec. 498A IPC, which reads as under :
498A. Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her
to cruelty—Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.
Explanation—For the purpose of this section, “cruelty” means—
(a) any wilful conduct which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or physical) of the woman; or
S.C.No.270 of 2013 9
(b) harassment of the woman where such harassment is with a view to coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any property or valuable security or is on account of failure by her or any person related to her to meet such demand.
19. The plain reading of the above section would disclose that harassment of the woman where such harassment is with a view to coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any property or valuable security or on account of failure by her husband or any person related to her to meet such demand amounts to cruelty, which is punishable. The explanation defines the expression ‘cruelty’ and clause (a) pertains to willful conduct which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or physical) and clause (b) deals with harassment with a view to secure fulfillment of an unlawful demand or when such harassment is on account of failure to fulfill such demand.
20.The accused is also charged for the offence under Section 306 IPC. Section 306 IPC prescribes the punishment against a person who abets the deceased to commit the suicide, whereas section 107 IPC defined the abetment to mean that a person abets the doing of a thing if he firstly, instigates any person to do that thing; or secondly, engages with one or more other person or persons in any conspiracy for the doing of that thing, if an act or illegal omission takes place in pursuance of that conspiracy, and in order to the doing of that thing; or thirdly, intentionally aids, by any act or illegal omission, the doing of that thing.
S.C.No.270 of 2013 10
Even assuming for a moment that the accused has uttered any word in a fit of anger or emotion without intending the consequences to actually follow cannot be said to be instigation. In the present case on hand, there is no whisper in the testimonies of PWs.1 to 5 that accused abated or instigated commission of suicide by the deceased.
21. In the present case on hand, the accused is charged for subjecting the deceased to cruelty and thereby abetted the deceased to commit suicide. PW.1 is the elder brother of the deceased deposed that on the date of alleged incident, the deceased Krishnaveni hanged herself due to unbearable stomach ache and died, hence he lodged Ex.P1 report.
The testimony of PW.1 did not reveals the person responsible for the death of the deceased. PW.2 to 4 and 6 are the relatives of the deceased stated that the deceased hanged herself and committed suicide due to unbearable stomach pain. On considering the testimonies of PWs.1 to 4 and 6, there is no corroboration among their testimonies as to the cause why the deceased has committed suicide. Be that as it may, PWs. 1 to 4 and 6 did not state before this court as per their previous version stated
before the police. Therefore the learned Additional Public Prosecutor
rightly declared PWs.1 to 4 and 6 as hostile and in spite of their cross examination, nothing in favour of prosecution is elicited proving the involvement of accused regarding the alleged cruelty and abatement.
22. According to the prosecution case the accused person is alleged to have subjected the deceased to cruelty and that and as a consequence of abetment, the deceased Krishnaveni has committed
S.C.No.270 of 2013 11 suicide on 25.12.2012. PW1 is none other than the defacto complainant and brother of the deceased who set the law in motion though stated above the marriage of the deceased with the accused, but he caterrogically deposed that his sister/deceased has suffered with stomach ache and unable to bear the same, she has commit suicide by hanging herself and that the police have obtained his signature under
Ex.P1 on blank paper. PWs.2 to 4 and 6 are none other than the close relatives of deceased too deposed that the deceased was died unable to bear her stomach ache, but not due to the alleged harassment of accused.
23.The evidence of PW.7 medical officer at Government Area
Hospital, Mancherial reveals that on 25.12.2012 he conducted post
Mortem examination over the dead body of the deceased and he opined that the death of the deceased was due to Cardio respiratory arrest following the hanging. This testimony of PW7 reveals that the death of the deceased was caused due to hanging. The testimony of PW9 investigating officer deposed as per the investigation done by him. As seen from the testimonies of PWs.1 to 9, except PW.9, there was no involvement of accused in any manner.
24.As could be seen from the Prosecution case, PWs.1 to 4 and 6 are the family members of deceased and the material witnesses did not support the Prosecution case and turned hostile. Therefore, I am of the view that the crucial and necessary ingredients that the deceased was subjected to cruelty and harassment by the accused was not established
S.C.No.270 of 2013 12 and that the suicide of deceased was not the result of abetment of the accused.
25.In view of the above said facts, circumstances and the discussed as stated above, I hold that the prosecution has failed to establish its case against the accused for the offence punishable under
Sections 498A and 306 IPC beyond all reasonable doubt. Hence I find that the accused is found not guilty of the charges under Sections 498A and 306 IPC and accordingly the accused is to be acquitted for the said charges. In this case, the Police Jaipur have deposited the case property viz. Two pieces of Chunny, which is nonvaluable in nature and that nobody have claimed for the same till this day, therefore it is just and appropriate to pass an order for its destruction, after appeal time is over.
26.IN THE RESULT, the accused is found not guilty of the offence punishable under Sections 498A and 306 IPC and accordingly, the accused is acquitted under Sec.235(1) Cr.P.C. for the said charges.
The bail bonds of the accused shall be in force for a period of six months as contemplated under Sec.437A Cr.P.C. The case property viz. Two pieces of Chunni are ordered to be destroyed after appeal time is over.
Typed to my dictation by the Typist directly on the computer, Corrected and pronounced by me in the open Court on this the 25 th day of February 2019.
SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE, NIRMAL.
FAC:PRL. SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE,
MANCHERIAL.
APPENDIX OF EVIDENCE
WITNESSES EXAMINED
S.C.No.270 of 2013 13
For Prosecution: For Defence: None
PW1: Sri.Ball Sammaiah (Defacto Complainant and brother of deceased) PW2: Smt.Balla Durgamma (Mother of the deceased) PW3: Sri. Balla Kumar (Elder brother of the deceased) PW4: Smt. Jadi Mallaiah (Elder maternal uncle of the deceased) PW5: Sri. Sundilla Gattaiah (Mediator for Ex.P6) PW6: Balla Malleshwari (Elder sister of the deceased) PW7: Dr.M.Yashwanth Rao (Civil Asst. Surgeon Govt. Area Hospital, Mancherial) PW8: Jangidi Ramesh (Photographer) PW9: J. Shyam Sunder (Inspector of Police, Jaipur and I.O. filed the charge sheet)
EXHIBITS MARKED
For Prosecution: Ex.P1: Signature of PW.1 on the original report. Ex.P2: 161 Cr.P.C. Statement of PW.1. Ex.P3: 161 Cr.P.C. Statement of PW.2. Ex.P4: 161 Cr.P.C. Statement of PW.3. Ex.P5: 161 Cr.P.C. Statement of PW.4. Ex.P6: Crime Details Form, dt.25.12.2012. Ex.P7: Inquest Panchanama, dt.25.12.2012 . Ex.P8: 161 Cr.P.C. Statement of PW.6. Ex.P9: Post Mortem Examination Report. Ex.P10: 6 positive colour photographs of the deceased. Ex.P11: First Information Report.
MATERIAL OBJECTS
MO1: Two pieces of Chunny
SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE, NIRMAL.
FAC:PRL.ASST. SESSIONS JUDGE,
MANCHERIAL.