IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH 1. CRM M-55994-2024 (O&M) Date of Decision:08.07.2025 Anju @ Anjali @ Anjali Rani ...Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and another ... Respondents 2. CRM M-61907-2024 (O&M) Sapna @ Lakhwinder Kaur ...Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and another ... Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE N.S.SHEKHAWAT Present : Mr. Jatinder Nagpal, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. I.P.S. Sabharwal, DAG, Punjab. N.S.SHEKHAWAT , J. 1. This order shall dispose off two petitions, i.e., CRM M-55994 of 2024 titled as “Anju @ Anjali @ Anjali Rani Vs. State of Punjab and another”, and CRM M-61907-2024 titled as “Sapna @ Lakhwinder Kaur Vs. State of Punjab and another”, whereby, the petitioners have prayed for grant of concession of regular bail in a case FIR No. 141 dated 12.10.2023 under Sections AMIT RANA 2025.07.11 16:33 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this judgement/order CRM M-55994-2024 and connected case -2- 302, 201 and 120-B IPC registered at Police Station Kotwali Nabha, Patiala. 2. The FIR in the present case has been registered on the basis of the statement made by Surjit Singh son of Harbans Ram and the same has been reproduced below:- “Statement of Surjit Singh's son of Harbans Ram, resident of Ram Nagar Basti Opposite Railway Station Sangrur Age about 24 years Mobile Number 62833- 45663, declared that I am a resident of the said address and do hard labour. We are five brothers and sisters in total. In which there are four sisters, my sister Paramjit Kaur who is younger than my elder two sisters, whose age is about 25 years, whose marriage was solemnized on 09.11.2021 with Nimma Ram son of Jagga Ram r/o Bajigar Basti Aloharan Gate Nabha. Sometime after the marriage, my sister Paramjit Kaur was harassed by her husband Nimma Ram, mother-in-law Rekha Devi, mother-in-law Jagga Ram, sister-in-laws Anju and Sapna and started demanding dowry only after the marriage. My sister Paramjit Kaur used to tell us about this but we used to beg and explain to my sister's-in-laws that they are poor and not in such capacity. Now my sister's in-laws pressurized us and asked for money from us to buy a Tempo for my brother-in-law Nimma Ram, ₹ for which we had paid 50,000/- (INR. Fifty Thousand only) in cash to them about two months ago according to our ability. As my sister Paramjit Kaur was not having a child, due to which my sister Paramjit Kaur was being harassed by her husband Nimma Ram and his family and had threatened to kill her several times, which my sister AMIT RANA 2025.07.11 16:33 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this judgement/order CRM M-55994-2024 and connected case -3- told me and my father over the phone, but we used to pacify the situation that everything will be okay. Today at around 4 o'clock in the evening, I received a call from my sister Paramjit Kaur's uncle, father-in-law MC Kashmir Singh, who called and told me that your sister Paramjit Kaur had died in the night, her body is lying cold and asked us to come to Nabha alongwith your elders, I immediately took my nephew Sunny s/o Ajay Kumar, Baru s/o Joginder Singh @ Pappu Ram r/o Ram Nagar Basti Sangrur along with me on my motorcycle but when I reached my sister's house at Nabha, her both sister-in-laws namely Anju and Sapna were sitting with two other women, I asked Anju and Sapna about my sister, who told me that your sister has been taken to our home hospital, when I inquired from the village, I came to know that my sister has passed away and her in-laws have taken my sister to crematorium ground, Nabha for her cremation. I immediately reached crematorium ground, Aloharan Gate with my friends and saw that my sister's body was set on fire, when I asked my brother-in- law Nimma Ram what happened to my sister, how she died and why we were not informed about it. Given, what have you done? who are cremating my sister without telling us, then Nima Ram started folding his hands in front of me and at times other relatives also started making supplications in front of us and we all three together started put off the fire on the clothes of my sister, where a man of the village caught me and stopped me from putting out the fire and we took buckets of water to put out the fire, then my sister's in-laws took the buckets from us and for some time later all the men slipped from there and I and my nephews continued to AMIT RANA 2025.07.11 16:33 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this judgement/order CRM M-55994-2024 and connected case -4- put out the fire together. In the meantime, Fire Brigade came at the spot and with the help of Fire Brigade, we put off the fire and dead body of his sister was taken out. It was only a chance, but the fire brigade also came and with the help of the fire brigade, we extinguished the fire and took out the half-burnt body of my sister, which was under planned conspiracy of my sister Paramjit Kaur in-laws i.e. by her husband Nimma Ram s/o Jagga Ram, mother-in-law Rekha Devi w/o Jagga Ram, mother-in-law Jagga Ram s/o Sona Ram Pradhan, sister-in-laws Anju and Sapna daughters of Jagga Ram and Kashmir Singh s/o Sona Ram Pradhan, resident of Bajigar Basti Alohran Gate Nabha District Patiala with an intention to kill her on the middle night of 11/12/10/2023 without informing us and cremated my sister's body on fire with the plan of his uncle Kasmir Singh. The evidence of attempted murder has been destroyed. My sister's body is more than half burnt. Because my sister Paramjit Kaur did not have a child, her husband and in-laws killed her and tried to cremate her body by burning it to destroy the evidence of murder. Appropriate action should be taken against them. I have heard the statement that you have written in the presence of your nephew Sunny Kumar at Markhana Nabha, which is correct. Correct Sd/- Surjeet Singh, Confirmed Sd/- Sunny, Confirmed Sd/-Gurpreet Singh SI/SHO Chief Officer Police Station Kotwali Date12/10/2023.”. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioners has vehemently argued that Paramjit Kaur, since deceased, was married to Nimma Ram @ Nirmal on 09.11.2021. In fact, Nimma Ram @ Nirmal, husband of the deceased is the step brother of both the petitioners. In AMIT RANA 2025.07.11 16:33 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this judgement/order CRM M-55994-2024 and connected case -5- fact, Nimma Ram @ Nirmal was son of first wife of Jagga Ram. After the death of his first wife, Jagga Ram married to Rekha Devi, his second wife. Both the petitioners are daughters of Jagga Ram and Rekha Devi, second wife, whereas Nimma Ram @ Nirmal, husband of the deceased is the son of Jagga Ram and his first wife. Learned counsel further contends that after the marriage, Nimma Ram @ Nirmal and Paramjit Kaur were staying separately from both the petitioners and Jagga Ram. Thus, the petitioners had no concern with the matrimonial life of Nimma Ram @ Nirmal and Paramjit Kaur. Even in the FIR, no specific allegation has been levelled against the petitioners, who are two young unmarried daughters of Jagga Ram. Still further, as per the postmortem report (Annexure P-2), Paramjit Kaur had died due to the head injury, which was allegedly caused by her husband. The petitioners are young unmarried daughters of Jagga Ram, who never be the beneficiary of dowry, which was demanded from Paramjit Kaur, since deceased. Still further, both the petitioners were living separately from Paramjit Kaur and her husband. 4. Learned counsel further submits that the petitioners were arrested in the present case on 14.11.2023 and are in custody for the last about one year and 08 months and during the course of trial, Surjit Singh, complainant, has been examined. Moreover, both the petitioners are young girls and are not in a position to influence the witnesses of the prosecution. AMIT RANA 2025.07.11 16:33 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this judgement/order CRM M-55994-2024 and connected case -6- 5. On the other hand, learned State counsel has vehemently opposed the prayer made by the learned counsel for the petitioners on the ground that there are serious allegations against the petitioners and the petitioners are not entitled for the concession of regular bail. 6. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record. 7. In the present case, both the petitioners are young girls aged about 22/25 years and the prosecution is yet to lead evidence against them with regard to demand of dowry by them. Even, both of them are in custody for the last about one year and 08 months and are first offenders. Even otherwise, no specific allegation has been levelled against both of them and their further custody will not serve any purpose. 8. In view of the above, without commenting any further on the merits, the present petitions are allowed and the petitioners are ordered to be released on bail on their furnishing bail bonds/surety bonds to the satisfaction of the learned trial Court/Duty Magistrate/CJM concerned. 9. All pending applications, if any, are disposed off, accordingly. 08.07.2025 (N.S.SHEKHAWAT) amit rana JUDGE Whether reasoned/speaking : Yes/No Whether reportable : Yes/No AMIT RANA 2025.07.11 16:33 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this judgement/order