IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA. Cr.M.P.(M) No. 872 of 2011 Date of decision : 04.11.2011 ____________________________________________________________ Smt. Veena Devi and others …Petitioners Versus State of Himachal Pradesh . …Respondent. Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Kuldip Singh, Judge. Whether approved for reporting ? No For the Petitioners : Mr. N. K.Thakur, Advocate. For the Respondent : Ms. Ruma Kaushik, Additional Advocate General. Kuldip Singh, Judge (Oral) This is a petition under Section 439 Cr.P.C. for releasing the petitioners on bail in FIR No. 251 of 2011 dated 30.9.2011 registered at Police Station, Haroli, District Una, under Sections 498-A, 306/34 IPC. 2. It has been stated that petitioner No. 1 is mother in law, petitioners No. 2 and 3 are unmarried sisters-in-law and petitioners No. 4 and 5 are married sisters-in-law of deceased Vandana. The marriage between deceased Vandana and Joginder Singh was solemnized on 17.2.2009 and from the wedlock a son was born. The deceased committed suicide on 30.9.2011. ______________________ 1 Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the Judgment ? Yes 2 3. It has been stated that the petitioners have been falsely implicated in the case. The petitioners are innocent and they have no role, concern or connection with the commission of offence. The married sisters-in-law of the deceased are living with their inlaws and they have no concern or connection with the affairs of the family of the deceased. Before alleged occurrence, the matter was never reported to the police or to the Panchayat or other lawful authority regarding maltreatment or harassment of the deceased. 4. The petitioners were arrested on 1/2.10.2011 and since then they are in custody. The investigation in the case is complete and no recovery is to be made from the petitioners. The petitioners are ready to furnish bail bonds in accordance with the directions of this Court. 5. The petitioners filed bail applications, the learned Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track Court), Una declined the request of the petitioners on 22.10.2011 for releasing them on bail. 6. The petitioner No.1 is aged about 70 years, all the petitioners are women. No purpose will be served for detaining the petitioners in custody for indefinite period. The prayer has been made for admitting the petitioners on bail. 7. The bail application has been opposed. It has been stated in the status report that the case has been registered on the statement recorded under Section 154 Cr.P.C. of Smt.Usha Kiran, mother of the deceased. The complainant has stated that the marriage of the deceased was solemnized with Joginder Singh on 17.2.2009. The complainant had given dowry to the deceased at the time of marriage 3 as per her capacity but son-in-law Joginder Singh and the petitioners were not satisfied with the dowry. They used to taunt the deceased and used to ask her to bring more dowry. The deceased used to tell the complainant the demand of dowry of petitioners and Joginder Singh. The deceased also used to tell the ill-treatment meted out to her from petitioners and Joginder Singh to her aunt Madhu Thakur. 8. On 30.9.2011 Joginder Singh on telephone informed the complainant that Vandana had consumed some substance and disconnected the phone. She tried to contact Joginder Singh several times but nobody picked up the phone. She was informed by Ex- President Ashok Kumar that Vandana had died. On this case was registered. The investigation in the case is almost complete. The report from F.S.L. has not been received. It has been stated that petitioners were arrested on 2.10.2011. In the status report, it has been stated that accused Veena Devi is clever person but nothing has been stated regarding the conduct of other petitioners after the occurrence. The prayer has been made for rejection of the bail petition. 9. I have considered the rival contentions of the parties and have also gone through the police file. The investigation in the case is complete. There are in all six accused in the case as per learned Additional Advocate General, out of them five have applied for bail. Joginder Singh husband of the deceased is in custody. The material witnesses in the case are mainly from parents side of the deceased. It is not the case of the investigating agency that deceased has left behind some suicide note or prior to alleged occurrence deceased or somebody else on her behalf lodged any complaint with the police, 4 panchayat or other lawful authority regarding the misconduct of the petitioners. All the petitioners are women and, therefore, they are entitled to special treatment for purpose of bail as provided under Section 437 Cr.P.C. The trial of the case will take some time. No purpose will be served for detaining the petitioners for indefinite period. 10. In the facts and circumstances of the case, the petitioners have made out a case for grant of bail. Accordingly, the petition is allowed. The petitioners are ordered to be released on bail in FIR No. 251 of 2011 dated 30.9.2011 registered at Police Station, Haroli, District Una, under Sections 498-A, 306/34 IPC on their furnishing personal bonds in the sum of ` 25,000/- each with one surety each of the like amount to the satisfaction of any Judicial Magistrate stationed at Una with the condition that the petitioners shall not overawe or influence the prosecution witnesses nor shall tamper with the prosecution evidence in any manner. 11. The observations made in this judgment are for disposal of bail petition only and the same shall not be construed as an expression of opinion on the merits of the case. Copy dasti. November 4, 2011 ( Kuldip Singh ) (GR) Judge.