Case Facts:
Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.24771 of 2012 (3) dt.23-08-2012 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Criminal Miscellaneous No.24771 of 2012 ====================================================== Lalan Mandal .... .... Petitioner/s Versus The State Of Bihar .... .... Opposite Party/s CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT KUMAR SRIVASTAVA ORAL ORDER 03/ 23.08.2012 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner as well as learned Addl. Public Prosecutor for the State. Petitioner being husband of the deceased is in jail custody since 23.2.2012 in a case registered under [STATUTE] . According to the prosecution case, marriage of the deceased had taken place with petitioner three years ago but she was subjected to cruelty and harassment on account of illegal demand and later on, she was done to death. In course of investigation, one set of witnesses stated that the deceased was mercilessly assaulted by the petitioner whereas another set of witnesses stated that the deceased consumed poison due to some family dispute. Considering the above stated facts and circumstances as well as submissions of the parties, I am not inclined to release the petitioner on bail. Accordingly, the prayer for bail of the petitioner in connection with Sikandara P.S. Case no. 18/2012 pending in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jamui is, hereby, rejected. However, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jamui is directed Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.24771 of 2012 (3) dt.23-08-2012 to commit the case of the petitioner to the court of Sessions in accordance with law within two weeks from the date of receipt of this order, if the same has not been committed to the court of sessions and furthermore, after commitment, the trial court shall try to conclude the trial of the petitioner within seven months from the date of receipt of the order. It is made clear that if the trial of petitioner is not concluded within the above stated period, the petitioner may renew his prayer for bail before the learned trial court itself. shahid (Hemant Kumar Srivastava,J)

Applicable IPC Section: 304B

Statute Text:
Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code. Dowry death. Where the death of a woman is caused by any burns or bodily injury or occurs otherwise than under normal circumstances within seven years of her marriage and it is shown that soon before her death she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or any relative of her husband for, or in connection with, any demand for dowry, such death shall be called "dowry death", and such husband or relative shall be deemed to have caused her death. Whoever commits dowry death shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years but which may extend to imprisonment for life.