Crl. Misc. No. M-16932 of 2010 1 IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATES OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. Crl. Misc. No. M-16932 of 2010 (O&M) Date of decision: 30.7.2010 Gurbux Kaur ...Petitioner Versus State of Punjab ...Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJAN GUPTA Present: Mr. G.S. Kaura, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr. Shailesh Gupta, Deputy Advocate General, Punjab. Rajan Gupta, J. (oral) This is a petition under Section 438 Cr.P.C. seeking pre- arrest bail in a case registered against the petitioner under Sections 304-B IPC at Police Station Balachaur, District Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, vide FIR No.43 dated 10th May, 2010. Learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that at the time when the deceased committed suicide, she was on duty and thus, her involvement is not made out. According to him, there cannot be any allegation of harassment by the petitioner as no complaint was ever lodged in this respect by the deceased. Learned State counsel has, however, opposed the prayer for pre-arrest bail. He submits that in the FIR specific allegations have been levelled against the petitioner for harassing the deceased for not bringing sufficient dowry. He submits that during investigation, statement of the complainant Sohan Lal and uncle of the deceased, namely, Harbhajan Singh had been recorded. They had stated before the Crl. Misc. No. M-16932 of 2010 2 investigating agency that the deceased was subjected to continuous harassment by her husband and mother-in-law (petitioner) for bringing insufficient dowry. She has, thus, opposed the prayer for bail. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and given careful thought to the facts of the case. It appears that deceased was married to son of the petitioner on 10th May, 2009. Thereafter, according to allegations, she was subjected to harassment in her matrimonial home at the hands of her husband and mother-in-law (petitioner herein). She was told to bring Rs.1.00 lac from her parents as her husband had to be sent to a foreign country i.e. Libya. She later gave birth to a daughter, but the harassment continued. She was told to bring money from her parents, failing which she would be divorced. She ultimately died of severe burn injuries on 10th May, 2010. Ironically, the deceased died exactly one year after she was married to Rakesh Kumar i.e. on her marriage anniversary. According to allegations, she was constantly maltreated by her husband and the petitioner. In the facts and circumstances of the matter, no case for grant of pre-arrest bail is made out. The petition is, thus, devoid of merit and is hereby dismissed. (RAJAN GUPTA) JUDGE 30.7.2010 'rajpal'