..(1).. IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO.320 OF 2008 [LEAVE TO APPEAL] IN CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. OF 2008 The State of Maharashtra. ..Applicant. Versus Ananda Laxman Sangaonkar and 3 Ors. ..Respondents. .... Mr.Rajesh More, APP, for the Applicant-State. .... CORAM : SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J. CORAM : SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J. CORAM : SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J. DATED : 2nd May, 2008. DATED : 2nd May, 2008. DATED : 2nd May, 2008. P.C.: 1. The applicant-State of Maharashtra has filed this application for leave to file appeal against the judgment and order dated 25th September, 2007 passed by the learned Addl. Sessions Judge, Kolhapur in S.C.No.18 of 2007. By the said judgment and order, the learned Sessions Judge acquitted the respondents-orig. accused Nos.1 to 4 of the offences punishable under Sections 498-A and 306 r.w. 34 of IPC. 2. Heard the learned APP for the Applicant-State. Perused the judgment and order ..(2).. of the learned Sessions Judge as well as the evidence which has been produced by the learned APP. 3. The prosecution case is that respondent No.1 was husband of Chhaya (deceased) and respondent Nos.2,3 & 4 are the close relatives of respondent No.1. The prosecution case is that there was a demand of gold marriage-string to Chhaya and on account of this demand not being met, the accused ill-treated and harassed Chhaya. It is the prosecution case that, on account of the ill-treatment and harassment, Chhaya committed suicide by consuming poison. 4. As far as the demand of gold marriage-string is concerned it has come in the evidence, especially that of the father of the deceased, that within a span of one and half year of the marriage, he had given one gold marriage-string to Chhaya. If that is so, then there was no cause for the accused to subject Chhaya to cruelty on that ground as the demand was already fulfilled. Thereafter the witnesses have ..(3).. tried to change their version that there was further demand of gold chain and Chhaya was not prepared to go to her marital home without gold chain. It is seen that Chhaya was continuously staying for about 3-4 months prior to the incident in the house of her parents. During that time, there was no occasion for the accused to contact Chhaya or her parents. Hence there was no chance for the accused to ill-treat or harass Chhaya during the 3-4 months preceding the incident. In such case, it does not appear that there is any reasonable nexus between the suicide of Chhaya and any cruelty being meted out to her by the accused persons. The death of Chhaya admittedly occurred in the house of her parents that too by consuming the poison which was admittedly purchased by her father who has produced its receipt at Exh.31. Three-four months preceding the death of Chhaya, there was no possibility of cruelty or harassment being meted out to Chhaya by the accused. The real cause for suicide by Chhaya is not forthcoming. In this view of the matter, the learned Sessions Judge has acquitted the respondents-orig.accused Nos.1 to 4. ..(4).. 5. Looking to the evidence on record, I am of the opinion that the view taken by the learned Sessions Judge is a reasonable and possible view. Hence, no interference is called for. Application for leave to file appeal is rejected. (SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J.) (SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J.) (SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J.)