Pointing out that a victim's dying declaration did not corroborate with the prosecution case, the Madras High Court today upheld acquittal of two in-laws of a woman, who was charred to death along with her daughter at her home in 2006.
While dismissing a criminal revision petition by the girl's guardian, justice M Sathyanarayanan of the Madurai bench said the prime accused was the woman's husband who had committed suicide during the course of trial.
The Mahila Court in Tiruchirapalli had rightly acquitted the father-in-law and sister-in law by according them the benefit of doubt in view of various infirmities in the case.
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The bench pointed out that revision petitioner G K Parthasarathy had stated he had given the woman in marriage in 2004. But she often complained her husband did not take care of her properly and was handing over all his earnings to his sister.
The husband also allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 more as dowry and suspected her fidelity. The woman and the child suffered burn injuries on Sept 28, 2006 and died the next day.
The maternal uncle alleged his niece's husband and his sister-in-law had 'instigated' her to commit suicide. But the victim in her dying declaration had said she sustained burn injuries due to bursting of a kerosene stove.
She had charged her husband and in-laws with not trying to save her and the child when they caught fire besides ill treating her since marriage. But her close relatives had not supported the prosecution case while adducing evidence before the trial court.
