Man guilty of harassing wife, to pay Rs 2L to minor daughter

A man convicted for driving his wife to suicide has been asked by a Delhi court to pay Rs two lakh compensation to his five-year-old daughter, who has been living with her maternal grandparents.
Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau also awarded a jail term of one years and ten months which convict Pushpender, a Delhi resident, has already undergone during the trial.
The judge imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on Pushpender and directed him to give it for his minor daughter for her welfare and maintenance by her maternal grand parents.
"In the totality of the circumstances and in the interest of justice, a lenient view is taken against Pushpender, who for the offence under Section 498-A IPC is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for a period of one year and ten months and fine to the tune of Rs two lakh.

"The entire fine amount of Rs two lakh shall be given as compensation to the minor child to be used for her welfare and maintenance by the guardian so appointed by the competent court under intimation to this court till such time the issue regarding custody of the child is finally decided by the competent court," the judge said.
The court also acquitted victim Sangeeta's mother-in-law Krishna Devi Sharma, brothers-in-law Vijay Shankar Gaur and Madan Mohan Gautam and sister-in-law Usha Rani of the charges of cruelly treating the deceased and dowry death due to insufficient evidence against them.

Pushpender was also acquitted of the charge of dowry death.

According to the prosecution, Sangeeta was found handing in her matrimonial house on the intervening night of July 21-22, 2011 in Rani Bagh here. She had committed suicide after being fed of the cruelty meted out by her husband and other family members, it said.
The police said the accused used to force her to get Rs five lakh dowry from her parents and when she failed to do so, they used to harass her.
A case was registered against Pushpender and other family members as the victim had died under suspicious circumstances within seven years of the marriage which was solemnised in June 2006.