Kolkata: Suicide due to dowry-related torture is “not very rare or uncommon”, the Calcutta High Court observed on Monday while reducing a man’s life sentence to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment in connection with the 2014 deaths by suicide of his wife and their minor daughter.The division bench of justices Arijit Banerjee and Apurba Sinha Ray based the reduction on a Supreme Court ruling that held life imprisonment is not mandatory in every dowry death case, and that the maximum punishment should be reserved for the “rare cases”.The division bench held: “The commission of suicide failing to bear with the torture for demand of dowry is not very rare or uncommon one, and accordingly, in view of the judgment passed in Hari Om (supra), we are inclined to reduce the sentence of the appellant number one, Sajal Parui, from life imprisonment to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment but there would be no change in sentence of fine.”The bench, however, upheld the conviction stating that pressure put on the woman by her husband to claim her share in the ancestral property can be treated as a dowry demand. It also upheld the prosecution’s case that there was a constant demand of money from the husband which not only led to the woman hanging herself to death but also ending her child’s life.Parui married Chayanika in April 2010. At the time of the marriage, the bride’s family allegedly gave gold, cash and household articles. The couple later had a daughter. After some time, Sajal and his family allegedly began demanding more money and pressured Chayanika to claim her share of the ancestral property. Her brother eventually sold portions of the property and gave her a share.In June 2014, the woman’s brother received a call from her in-laws and rushed to the house, where he found his sister and niece hanging from the ceiling. A case of dowry death under IPC Section 304B was registered against the husband and his parents. While the husband was convicted, his parents — who had been sentenced to 7 years’ jail — were acquitted after the HC found no cogent evidence against them.
