Thulasi Sigdhar v. State Of Telangana

THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE G. SRI DEVI CRIMINAL PETITION No.107 of 2020 ORDER:

This Criminal Petition, under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, is filed by the petitioner/accused No.3 seeking to grant anticipatory bail in the event of her arrest in Crime No.518 of 2019 on the file of Mancherial Police Station, Mancherial District.

2.

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent-State and perused the record.

3.

The brief facts of the case are that on 23.12.2019 at 8 pm, the de facto complainant lodged a complaint stating that her younger sister's marriage was performed with accused No.1 on 16.3.2019 by giving dowry and articles worth Rs.5,50,000/-; that the couple lived happily for some time, and later, accused No.1 started harassing the deceased mentally and physically for additional dowry; that on 22.12.2019, the deceased was found dead on the cot by consuming some unknown poison due to harassment of accused No.1 with the abetment of other accused. Hence, the complaint. 4.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is not involved in the crime, rather she has been falsely implicated in the case; that the confessional statements as alleged by the prosecution are nothing but the invention of prosecution and the alleged confession was recorded under threat and coercion; and that the entire case of the prosecution regarding the role of the petitioner is nothing but a fictitious story which was invented by the

de facto complainant. Learned counsel further submitted that the petitioner is a law abiding citizen and is ready to abide by any conditions that may be imposed by this Court in the event of her enlargement on anticipatory bail.

5.

Learned Additional Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application.

6.

It is a case under Section 304-B IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The victim i.e., the wife of accused No.1 has died in unnatural circumstances in her in-laws house within one year of her marriage due to the harassment of her husband and inlaws for additional dowry. Thus, looking into the gravity of the offences and the nature of the allegations levelled against the petitioner and the facts and circumstances of the case, I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner. 7.

The Criminal Petition is accordingly dismissed. 8.

Miscellaneous applications, if any pending in this criminal petition, shall stand closed.

__________________ JUSTICE G.SRI DEVI 21st January, 2020 dr