Sudha Goel, 20 years, had studied upto 8th standard in school.
She belonged to a middle class traders' family in Calcutta.
She married the accused Laxman Kumar on 16th February, 1980 at Delhi. Laxman was a shopkeeper.
An usual story of 1980s
Just after a month of her marriage she was subjected to ill treatment by the accused husband, his mother and brother for more dowry.
They used every opportunity to taunt her for not bringing sufficient dowry.
She was also expected to do more household work than she was physically capable of.
Sudha was pregnant and was to deliver within a week of murder.
On December 1, 1980, a shout was heard from Sudha's flat. "Bachao-Bachao"
Neighbors saw Sudha in a standing position - aflame.
They saw her husband, brother-in-law and Mother in law not doing anything.
The neighbours attempted to extinguish the fire first by pulling out the saree from the body of the lady, then with a gunny bag lying nearby on the burning body.
Sudha on seeing her mother-inlaw in front of her said, "this lady has put kerosene oil on me and set me ablaze" and "this lady has burnt me" when brought into the room by the neighbours.
Vardaat
Delhi - Trial Court
Laxman's lawyer presented Sudha's statement which was taken in the hospital that "I was boiling milk at home when I lit the stove. The flame "leat up"
Trial court gave importance to the oral statements of witness (neighbors)
Sentenced all the Respondents (Laxman, Shakuntala and Subhash) to death.
District Court
Delhi High Court
The High Court differed from the trial Judge on almost every aspect except that it accepted the presence of Witness when Sudha's burning at the scene of offence and their role in extinguishing the fire at the scene of offence but disbelieved the statements purported to have been made by the deceased on the culpability of the accused.
It accepted the written recorded declaration of the I.O. as attested by the doctor.
Acquitted all of them.
High Court
Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court
Women's Organization appealed the High Court Verdict.
Finally, SC concluded that although the trial court had imposed the punishment of death and such punishment could be imposed in suitable cases of bride burning, in the instant case life imprisonment would serve the ends of justice.
Laxman and His mother were sentenced for life imprisonment while Subhash was acquitted because lack of evidence
Dowry Prohibition Act
Aftermath
If any person gives or takes dowry, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years, and with fine which shall not be less than fifteen thousand rupees or the amount of the value of such dowry, whichever is more.
Recently there has been many cases of using this laws falsely.