HC acquits man charged with aiding wife's suicide

Almost 20 years, after being convicted and sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment, for abetting suicide of his wife, Bombay High Court, recently acquitted a person of all charges. Justice PN Deshmukh while acquitting Ankush Padhare, (aged 34 at the time of the offence), sentenced under sections 498-A (dowry harassment) and section 306 (abetment), said, "On considering the evidence on record, prosecution is found to have failed to establish the charges, appeal is liable to be allowed by setting aside conviction and sentence awarded by the trial court."

As per the prosecution case, the accused married Rani in 1987, initially she was treated well. However, she was later allegedly tortured for money and other valuables by her husband and in-laws. Since she could not meet those demands, she was mentally and physically harassed, tired of the constant harassment, she consumed poison on January 31, 1995 and committed suicide.

However, Padhare, denied all the charges levelled against him. It was argued that there was no immediate provocation from his side. Moreover, the alleged letter of harassment written by Rani to her parents, are not investigated to prove that it was actually written by her. The prosecution opposed the appeal and argued that the trial court had rightly appreciated the evidence on record and held him guilty.

The court perused the evidence and rejected the prosecution claim of harassment based solely on the alleged letters. Court stated that there was no investigation on record that the letters were in the handwriting of the deceased.