IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS. 272-273 OF 2003  

 JASTI BHANU SANKARA RAO & ORS.   ..... APPELLANTS

VERSUS

STATE THROUGH SHO & ANR.   ..... RESPONDENTS

O R D E R

We have heard the learned counsel for the parties.

We are not inclined to interfere in the merits of the  

controversy  as  two  courts  below  have  found  against  the  

appellants on an appreciation of the evidence particularly  

that of P.W. 1 the complainant.  However, we also see that  

the appellants have been sentenced to two yeas rigorous  

imprisonment under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.  

However,  keeping  in  view  the  fact  that  A2  and  A3,  the  

parents  of  A1  (husband  of  the  deceased)  are  reasonably  

advanced in age and the marriage took place in the year  

1986 and the FIR had been  lodged in the year 1996 and the  

proceedings have gone for almost 24 years, we reduce the  

sentence of A2 and A3 from one year to four months.

With this modification in the sentence, the appeal is  

dismissed.    

       ........................J      [HARJIT SINGH BEDI]

    ........................J      [CHANDRAMAULI KR. PRASAD]

NEW DELHI AUGUST  17, 2010.