Criminal Misc.-M No. 26729 of 2011 [ 1 ] IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Criminal Misc.-M No. 26729 of 2011 (O&M) Date of decision: 21.9.2011 Pavneet Kaur .. Petitioner Vs. State of Punjab .. Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH BINDAL Present: Mr. R. S. Cheema, Senior Advocate with Ms. Tanu Bedi, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. K. S. Pannu, Deputy Advocate General, Punjab. Mr. S. S. Rangi, Advocate for the complainant. ... Rajesh Bindal J. Prayer in the present petition is for grant of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner, who is an accused in FIR No. 197 dated 30.6.2011, under Section 304-B/34 IPC, Police Station, Zirakpur, District SAS Nagar, Mohali. The petitioner is the sister-in-law of the deceased (Jethani). Marriage of the deceased was solemnised with Kulwant Singh on 7.11.2009. She died of strangulation on 30.6.2011. The accused named in the FIR are mother-in-law, husband, brother-in-law (elder brother of the husband of the deceased) and the petitioner. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is living separately with her husband and two minor children. She is in the same position as the deceased was. She is also a daughter-in-law. Her marriage took place on 4.2.2005. They already owned a car. By harassing for dowry, the petitioner was not going to gain anything for her. The allegations in the FIR are quite vague. It is yet to be established as to whether the death was on account of strangulation or hanging. It may be a Criminal Misc.-M No. 26729 of 2011 [ 2 ] case of suicide. He further submitted that all other accused have already been arrested and are in custody. On the other hand, learned counsels for the State as well as the complainant submitted that death in the present case is within 2 years of marriage. On the same day, at 2.15 PM, the deceased had talked to her mother. The opinion of the doctor in the post-mortem report is that cause of death is strangulation. There were other marks of injuries as well on the body. The complainant has not named father-in-law as he was not harassing her. In fact, after receipt of information about the death, when father of the deceased and other family members reached there, all the accused ran away from the spot. Even though brother of the husband was having a separate ration card, but the family was residing in the same house in a separate portion. Considering the seriousness of allegations against the accused named in the FIR, where a young girl was killed in less than two years after the marriage, the petitioner does not deserve concession of anticipatory bail. After hearing learned counsel for the parties and considering the allegations against the petitioner and other accused in the FIR; cause of death being strangulation and there being other marks of injuries on the body of the deceased, in my opinion, the petitioner does not deserve concession of pre-arrest bail. Accordingly, the present petition is dismissed. (Rajesh Bindal) Judge 21.9.2011 mk