PUNISHMENT

Wife's suicide : Court punishes husband

Additional District and Sessions Judge, First Track Third Court, Cooch Behar, Mr Sribas Chandra Das sentenced a man to ten years of rigorous imprisonment following suicide of his wife.

Mr Shibendra Nath Roy, the lawyer on the government side, said one Upen Roy of Baikunthapur under Kotowali police station married Saraswati Das of Pestarjhar about eight years ago. The housewife was suffering from atrocities at her in-law's house since her marriage as she failed to bring a huge sum of money from her father's house. Till her death, her husband, Upen Roy regularly tortured her demanding her to bring Rs 50,000 from her father's house.

On 18 April 2008 Saraswati committed suicide by hanging herself. She left a suicide note written on her palm alleging her husband for the death.

On the next day an FIR was lodged at Kotowali police station against her husband, her father-in-law, her mother-in-law and a neighbour. During the legal procedure 13 witnesses were cross-examined in the court. Considering all aspects the judge convicted the husband, Upen Roy, for the death of his wife. He had been convicted under Section 498A and 306 IPC.

Today, the Additional District and Sessions Judge, First Track Third Court, Cooch Behar, Mr Sribas Chandra Das sentenced the convicted husband ten years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 306 IPC and slapped a fine of Rs 2,000 on him in default he will have to suffer an additional four months of imprisonment. The judge also ordered three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 498 IPC. Both the punishments would run concurrently.