Husband gets 3-year jail for abetting wife's suicide

A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to three years imprisonment by a Delhi court for harassing and abetting suicide of his wife who ended her life as she was fed of the physical torture.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Virender Kumar Goyal also imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on deceased Aarti's husband Ranjeet, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
While holding Ranjeet guilty, the court said that Aarti was treated with cruelty and was harassed by her husband before her death.
"The wilful conduct of Ranjeet drove Aarti to commit suicide, which falls within the definition of cruelty under Section 498A (subjecting woman to cruelty) of the IPC. Hence, prosecution has been able to prove offence under Section 498A of IPC against Ranjeet beyond reasonable doubts, for which, he is held guilty," the judge said.

Ranjeet along with his mother Shanti Devi and sister Jagrati was earlier booked for the offence of dowry death, murder and subjecting the victim to cruelty but the court later on converted it into abetment to suicide.
The court held Ranjeet guilty of harassing his wife Aarti but acquitted his mother and sister of all charges.

"It is an admitted fact that Aarti died under unnatural circumstances, but there was no demand of dowry soon before her death, so, prosecution has not been able to prove offence under Section 304B (dowry death) of the IPC against accused Ranjeet beyond reasonable doubts, for which, he is acquitted," the court held.

It also directed the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to pay compensation to the parents of the victim as her husband was economically weak and was unable to give any compensation.
According to the police, Aarti was found hanging at her house on March 20, 2011 and a case was lodged against her husband and in-laws for harassing and murdering her for dowry.