Court awards life-imprisonment to 3 members of in-laws’ family

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 4: Principal Sessions Judge Poonch, Kishore Kumar today awarded life-imprisonment to Balbir Singh, son of Darshan Singh, Ranjit Kour, wife of Darshan Singh and Parvinder Kour for committing murder of Harbhajan Kour by pouring kerosene oil.
According to the police case, on January 3, 2007 Harbhajan Kour, wife of Gurdev Singh of Dungus, Poonch was admitted in the Government Medical College and Hospital with severe burn injuries. In her statement to the police, Harbhajan Kour stated that she was burnt by her mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law over trifle issue.
On the basis of her statement, police registered a case under Section 307/34 RPC against all the three accused and started investigation. However, on January 15, 2007, Harbhajan Kour succumbed to injuries and accordingly the offence under Section 307 RPC was converted to 302 RPC. After completion of investigation, police presented challan against the accused persons.
After hearing Public Prosecutor Nazir Hussain for the State whereas Advocates Mahroof Manhas and Dheeraj Kour for the accused persons, Principal Sessions Judge Poonch observed, “the mitigating facts of the case are that there is no previous conviction against the accused and this case does not fall in the category of rarest of the rare cases”, adding “court have no hesitation to say that the offence committed by the accused persons does not fall within the ambit of rarest of the rare cases for imposing death sentence”.
“In my opinion life term would commensurate with the level of the guilt and gravity of offence proved against the accused persons”, Principal Sessions Judge said. Accordingly, accused persons were awarded imprisonment for life for the commission of offence under Section 302/34 RPC. Accused Balbir Singh will serve rigorous imprisonment for life whereas Ranjit Kour and Parvinder Kour will undergo simple imprisonment for life, which ordinarily means till natural death.