Mani Majra man gets 7-yr jail in dowry death case

A local court has sentenced Sukhant Chawla, a resident of Mani Majra, to undergo seven years rigorous imprisonment in a six-year-old dowry death case. The court has acquitted three other persons, including a woman, in the case after the prosecution failed to prove charges against them.

The police had registered the case on June 18, 2018, against the accused for the offence punishable under Sections 498-A and 304-B of IPC on a complaint filed by Raghubir Singh, a resident of Amravati Enclave, Panchkula. He told the police that his daughter Roma had got married with Sukhant Chawla in 2017, who belonged to a village of Ambala district.

After the marriage, both started residing in Modern Housing Complex, Chandigarh. After few days of marriage, his daughter had informed him that Sukhant used to torture and beat her for dowry. She further stated that Sukhant and his family members had been demanding Rs 2 lakh. Firstly, he refused to fulfil the demand, but his daughter called him up again and told him that they were putting pressure on her. Thereafter, he transferred Rs 2 lakh.

After a few days, his daughter again said that her husband and his family members started demanding Rs 5 lakh more and an Innova. On June 17, 2018, around 6 am he received a call from the police that his daughter died by suicide in the house. He alleged that Sukhant, his brother Akant, her sister Megha Budhi Raja and her husband Anil Budhi Raja, all used to beat her daughter up for dowry.

After completion of investigation, the challan was presented against the accused.

Charges were framed against the accused to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Rabindra Pandit and Sidharth Pandit, counsel of the complainant, argued that injury marks were found on her body due to the alleged torture by the accused. Counsel of the accused Sukhant argued that the accused had been falsely implicated in the case.

Terminder Singh, counsel of Akant, Megha and Anil, said that nothing had been found against them. After hearing the arguments the court sentenced the victim’s husband to undergo seven-year rigorous imprisonment and acquitted the other three.