Dowry death: 7-yr jail for man,parents

Additional sessions judge V V Joshi sentenced a man and his parents to seven years rigorous imprisonment in a dowry death and domestic violence case. The court convicted husband Ramchandra Mahadev Shelke (21),father-in-law Mahadev Kondiba Shelke (45) and mother-in-law Asha Mahadev Shelke (40) to seven-year RI for abetting the suicide of Balika Ramchandra Shelke (19) in 2007.

Balika was married to Ramchandra on February 7,2007. Barely six months after their marriage,on July 8,2007,Balika committed suicide by jumping in a nearby well filled with water. According to the prosecution,when the marriage was fixed,it was decided that Balika’s family would pay dowry amount of Rs 45,000,one tola gold and bear the marriage expenses. At the time of wedding,Balika’s family could pay only Rs 30,000 and one tola gold. When the groom’s family inquired about the balance amount of Rs 15,000 they said that they would pay in a month’s time.

However,after Balika’s family failed to pay the amount even after a month,Ramchandra and his parents Mahadev and Asha started torturing and beating Balika. “In May 2007,Balika had told her father that her husband had bought a jeep and was asking for money. She also complained that he would often beat her and insult her,” said additional public prosecutor Hira Bari. But Balika’s parents failed to pay heed to her complaints.

Unable to bear the torture,Balika committed suicide following which her father Jijarao Dadarao Dhire (45) registered a police complaint. The police arrested the trio under Sections 498A (husband or relative of a husband subjecting a women to cruelty) read with 34 (acts done by persons with common intention),304 (culpable homicide amounting to murder) and 306 (abetment to suicide).