Man gets 800 days’ jail for fabricating evidence in dowry death case

A Bareilly court directed the man to spend as many days in jail, which is equivalent to the days spent by three innocent people in prison due to false allegations

LUCKNOW In what appears to be a unique judgment, a Bareilly court on Friday awarded 800 days’ imprisonment to a man for producing fabricated evidence against an old couple and their son who he accused of domestic violence and causing the death of his daughter over dowry demands, prosecution officials said on Saturday.

The officials said the court directed the convicted man to remain in jail for the same number of days spent behind bars by three innocent people. The court also slapped a penalty of ₹2,54,352.35 on him. (Pic for representation)

The officials said the court directed the convicted man to remain in jail for the same number of days spent behind bars by three innocent people. The court also slapped a penalty of ₹2,54,352.35 on him, the officials added.

Sharing further details, Bareilly additional district government counsel (ADGC), Crime, Sunil Pandey said that one Babu Ram was convicted under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Section 230 for presenting fabricated evidence against his son-in-law Sonu and his elderly parents Poshaki Lal and Sheela Devi for harassing and causing death of his daughter Shalu for not fulfilling their dowry demands. He said Babu Ram had lodged an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 498-A for domestic violence and 304-B for causing dowry death on July 20, 2023, after his daughter had committed suicide by hanging herself in a fit of anger.

The ADGC stated that the Bareilly additional district and session judge of Court-14, Gyanendra Tripathi concluded that Babu Ram had presented fabricated evidence to frame Sonu and his parents in the dowry death case in which the sentence would have extended up to life term. And the trio have spent a total of 800 days in jail causing loss of their daily earnings of ₹2,54,352.35 following which he was convicted under BNS Section 230.

He said the court calculated that Sonu had spent 510 days in jail after being arrested while his father Poshaki Lal and mother Sheela Devi spent 134 and 156 days in jail for the same. He said the court stated that the three innocent people had to spend a total of 800 days in jail and the convict would have to spend the same term in jail to realise their pain.

The court stated that Sonu and his parents were unskilled labourers and could have earned ₹388.04 per day if they had not gone to jail.

“The court calculated that Sonu would have earned around ₹1,54,540.40 while his father and mother would have earned ₹45,756.48 and ₹54,055.47 respectively during this period . The court asked the convicted (to pay) the same amount of penalty to the accused,” the ADGC said.