A court in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district has delivered a stern verdict in a harrowing dowry death case, sentencing a 30-year-old farmer and his elderly parents to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. The trio was found guilty of subjecting the farmer's wife to relentless cruelty and harassment for additional dowry, which ultimately compelled her to take her own life in 2022.
The Tragic Case and Police Action
The incident unfolded in Dharmapur village of Pilibhit. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the victim, Rekha Devi, was married to Raja Ram on May 21, 2021. Her brother, Vikas Kumar, a resident of Kheri, stated in his complaint that he had provided sufficient dowry at the time of the wedding. However, soon after the marriage, Raja Ram and his parents—Shri Ram (55) and Tarawati (54)—began demanding more dowry and subjected Rekha to repeated harassment.
Vikas Kumar alleged that despite his several attempts to intervene and resolve the matter, the torment continued unabated. The situation reached a tragic climax when Vikas received a phone call on June 9, 2022, informing him that his sister had been killed by her in-laws. Rushing to her matrimonial home, he found her body lying in the veranda, while the accused had fled from the scene.
Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered at the Puranpur Kotwali police station under stringent sections of the law:
- IPC Section 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty)
- IPC Section 304B (Dowry death)
- Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act
The police completed their investigation and filed a chargesheet against the three accused on October 28, 2022.
Court Proceedings and Autopsy Findings
While the initial complaint suggested foul play, the post-mortem report presented a different cause of death. Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC) Vimal Kumar Verma informed that the autopsy concluded the cause of death was asphyxia due to ante-mortem hanging. The saree used in the suicide was later recovered during the investigation.
Presiding over the case, Additional District and Sessions Judge Mahesha Nand Jha made a crucial observation on Monday. The judge noted that "Rekha was subjected to cruelty for additional dowry, which compelled her to take the extreme step." This finding, based on the evidence and autopsy report, formed the cornerstone of the conviction.
Verdict and Sentences
Pronouncing the judgment, the court held all three accused guilty and sentenced them to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a cumulative fine of Rs 30,000 on the convicts.
The legal journey saw varying fortunes for the accused regarding bail. Raja Ram, the husband, was arrested shortly after the incident. His bail pleas were successively rejected by the sessions court and the Allahabad High Court, leading to his continued incarceration throughout the trial. His parents, however, were granted bail by the High Court on January 9, 2023.
This verdict from Pilibhit underscores the judiciary's firm stance against the social evil of dowry and the legal consequences for harassment that leads to such tragic outcomes. It serves as a stark reminder of the severe penalties under laws like IPC 304B and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
