Man gets 5-yr jail term for driving wife to suicide over dowry demand

New Delhi : A man has been sentenced to 5-year imprisonment by a Delhi court for abetting his wife to commit suicide and torturing her for dowry.

Additional Sessions Judge Deepak Garg convicted Vishnu Goel under section 498A (subjecting wife to cruelty to meet unlawful demand) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict.

"It is proved that Pinki (victim) was subjected to mental and physical cruelty by Vishnu Goel in her matrimonial house which was of such a nature to drive her to commit suicide or to cause grave injury to life and further she was harassed with a view to coerce her and her parents to meet unlawful demand of money....

"Accused did not leave any option open for Pinki and his act of treating her with extreme cruelty and harassment also abetted her to commit suicide," the court said in its order.

According to the prosecution, Goel and Pinki were married in 2000 and had two kids. It was alleged that after marriage, she was subjected to cruelty and harassment by her husband and brother-in law for demand of dowry.

In October 2014, she committed suicide by jumping under a running train. A complaint was filed by Pinki's father alleging that Goel was a habitual drunkard and used to beat his daughter. Following this, a case was registered by the police against Goel and his brother. The court acquitted the woman's brother-in law of all charges, saying the prosecution failed to establish the case against him.

In its verdict, the court took note of the statement of the woman's minor daughter recorded before it during the trial. The child had told the court that the relations between her parents were not good and her father used to drink liquor and abuse her mother, even beat her at times. During the trial, the man had claimed innocence and said his wife was facing depression which led her to commit suicide.