Supreme Court upholds husband's life sentence for wife's unnatural death

The case involves criminal appeals filed by three accused persons (husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law) challenging their convictions for dowry harassment and culpable homicide, as well as the State's appeal regarding the husband's conviction for murder, concerning the unnatural death of the wife within nine months of marriage.

Who it concerns: Appellants: Ramkishan Digambar Jadhav (husband), Digambar Narba Jadhav (father-in-law, deceased during pendency), and Venkat (brother-in-law); Respondent: The State of Maharashtra; Bench: Justice Mehta.

What the court decided

• The Court noted that the appeal filed by appellant-Digambar stands abated due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.
• The Court heard the submissions of the appellants and the respondent-State.
• The Court reviewed the impugned judgment of the High Court of Bombay at Aurangabad dated 3rd July, 2013, which had affirmed the convictions for Sections 498-A and 304-B IPC and convicted the husband under Section 302 IPC.
• The document text provided ends before the final operative order or judgment conclusion is stated.

Also in the document

• The judgment is marked as 'NON-REPORTABLE'.
• The High Court had previously set aside the partial acquittal of the husband (Ramkishan) under Section 302 IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
• The High Court had maintained the acquittal of the other accused persons under Section 302 IPC.