UP: Four of family convicted in dowry death case

Mainpuri (UP), Dec 18 (PTI) A sessions court here convicted four members of a family in a 2012 dowry death case, a lawyer said on Wednesday.

Additional Sessions Judge Kuldeep Singh on Tuesday convicted the victim’s husband Neeraj, brother-in-law Deepu, mother-in-law Shanti Devi and sister-in-law Meenu.

While Neeraj and Deepu were sentenced to life imprisonment, Shanti Devi and Meenu were handed prison terms of 10 years and 20 years, respectively, Government Counsel Sanjeev Chauhan said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on each convict, he added.

In 2012, Sarvesh Kumar, a resident of Divarnia village under Bhongaon police station, filed an FIR stating that his daughter, Rina, had been set ablaze by her in-laws over dowry.

In his complaint, Kumar stated that Rina was married to Neeraj of Tulzapur village on June 5, 2009. Despite providing a substantial dowry, her in-laws began demanding a buffalo and Rs 20,000, he said.

On October 12, 2012, Rina was set ablaze by Neeraj, her father-in-law Ant Ram, Deepu, Shanti Devi, Meenu, and another female relative, according to Kumar’s complaint.

Kumar said he was informed about the incident by the village pradhan, who told him that Rina had been rushed to Safai Hospital by her in-laws.

Her dying declaration was recorded at the hospital by a magistrate and she succumbed to her burn injuries the following day, the lawyer said.

Initially, the police failed to lodge the FIR, prompting Kumar to approach the Mainpuri court, which subsequently ordered the FIR to be registered against the accused.

Following an investigation, the police filed a chargesheet against Rina’s in-laws, Chauhan said, adding that her father-in-law died during the trial.