Devanti Devi @ Lali Devi v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.17992 of 2025 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-197 Year-2024 Thana- FATEHPUR District- Gaya ====================================================== Devanti Devi @ Lali Devi Wife of Krishna Chaudhary Resident of village -Mehrarpur Police Station- Fatehpur District -Gaya ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr.Subhash Kumar, Advocate For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr.Lakshmi Kant Sharma, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KUMAR SINHA ORAL ORDER 19-03-2025 1.

Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned APP for the State.

2.

The petitioner seeks regular bail in connection with Fatehpur PS case no. 197 of 2024 dated 05.04.2024, instituted for the offences punishable under Section 304-B/34 of the Indian Penal Code.

3.

The prosecution case, as per the First Information Report, is that the marriage of the informant's sister was solemnized with co-accused Raju Kumar in the year 2021. After marriage, the petitioner along with other accused persons started torturing and harassing the informant's sister mentally and physically for dowry and due to non-fulfilment of the same, informant's sister was killed by the petitioner and other accused persons on 05.07.2024.

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.17992 of 2025(2) dt.19-03-2025 2/3 4.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is the mother-in-law of the deceased and has not committed any offence in the manner alleged. Learned counsel further submits that the allegation levelled against the petitioner is general and omnibus in nature and nothing specific has been alleged against her. He next submits that the deceased has committed suicide as her marriage was solemnized against her will. He also submits that at the time of occurrence, the petitioner had gone for cutting grasses. The petitioner is languishing in custody since 15.01.2025. The petitioner is stated to be having no criminal antecedent.

5.

I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the materials available on record.

6.

From perusal of impugned order, it appears that within four years of marriage, the deceased died an unnatural death in her matrimonial home. The nature of death is not important whether it is natural, suicidal or accidental but the fact of the matter is that deceased died an unnatural death within four years of her marriage. There is a presumption against the accused persons under Section 113(A) and 113(B) of the Evidence Act. The offence is serious in nature and the punishment thereof, is also severe. The mother-in-law is

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.17992 of 2025(2) dt.19-03-2025 3/3 supposed to be the responsible member of the family. 7.

Accordingly, I am not inclined to grant bail to the petitioner, thus this application is rejected. 8.

However, the petitioner is at liberty to renew her prayer for regular bail after six months from today, if the trial does not show any progress.

(Anil Kumar Sinha, J) rinkee/- U T