- (1.)By this appeal filed under Section 374 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1873 (hereinafter referred to as Cr.P.C.) the appellant seeks to challenge the judgment and order on sentence dated 16.11.1999 and 17.11.1999 respectively passed by the Court of Ld. Additional Sessions Judge, Tis Hazari Courts, New Delhi, thereby convicting the appellant for committing an offence under Section 302 of The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as IPC) and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for life and also be liable to fine of Rs. 2000/- and in default thereof to undergo Rigorous imprisonment for 6 months in terms of section 302 IPC and the Appellant was also convicted under Section 498A read with Section 34 IPC and was sentenced to undergo RI for two years and to pay fine of Rs. 500/- and in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three months.
(2.)Dowry death and bride burning are social evils which have marred the very concept of marriage being a sacramental and revered union. It is like an albatross around the neck. Ours is a country which is on the verge of development and it is heart wrenching to see that with the nation's development what is also rising is the increasing no of cases relating to dowry deaths and bride burning, and if the National Crime Records Bureau's statistics are something to go by, then one woman dies every hour in the country. It is a crime that is so rampant in our country, where newlywed brides are often harassed for getting more dowry. However, perhaps the primary reason for the spread of this cancer has been the serious dearth of any public campaign or sensitization against it for the past 25 years. As a result, girls are considered a burden on their parents, families go bankrupt trying to get their daughters married off, choice in forming relations is frowned upon and thousands--may be lakhs-of young women suffer brutality quietly behind closed doors, because of an ancient tradition that is still prevalent in most Indian families. The material needs of the society like lust for money or sex etc. ravishes the very basis of this sacramental union called 'Marriage'. No doubt that there are many social & economic factors, governing the standard of living of various households, yet we feel that it is the righteous and moral duty of a husband that he fully discharges his matrimonial obligations for the sustenance of the family and does not aim to lead a laid-back life at the mercy of his wife's family, by making unwarranted demands or seeking financial backing.
(3.)In today's times when women walk shoulder to shoulder with men, pestering newly wedded females for dowry is still spreading like wild fire in every nook and corner and ruining a number of marriages, disbanding our faith in the social and cultural values. It's a curse which the society is facing. Crimes like suicide, bride burning have become common in poor and middle echelons of the society. In most of the cases, such acts are committed to satisfy one's unquenchable and insatiable greed for money and other material needs. In fact, these types of social crimes interfere with the entire societal fabric. The present case involves one such woman, for whom marriage became manacles of depraved windfall which ultimately took away her life.