A sessions court in the Rohini Courts Complex has ordered a man to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh for mental cruelty committed upon his wife. The court held that he had made his wife,since deceased,get two abortions within 15 months of their marriage without providing evidence to justify the termination of pregnancy. The convict,Manoj Kumar,was arrested in 2003,after police charged him and his mother for causing the death of his wife by constanty harassing her for dowry. However,Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau acquitted him on that charge for lack of evidence,instead,ruling that he be convicted for subjecting his wife to cruelty. It was established that during the short span of 15 months of the marriage,she had undergone abortions on two occasions when she suffered an infection and complications when both her ovaries had to be removed. The accused has failed to place before the court evidence to justify the termination of pregnancy (as provided under the Termination of Pregnancy Act), the judge said. ASJ Lau added that from the fine amount of Rs 1 lakh,half should be given to the state and half to the parents of the deceased for the mental pain and agony that they had also suffered. In the event that the parents do no accept the monday,the judge directed that it should be given to NGO Help-Age India. Further,the judge had also held one of the police witnesses in the case,a retired sub-inspector Ram Saran,guilty of perjury and fabrication of evidence. Though the court had asked him to respond,the judge said she was not satisfied with Ram Sarans submission and ordered proceedings to be initiated against him for the offence.
