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76. PW4 ASI Gulzar Singh after receiving opinion of doctor regarding fitness of Mandeep Kaur to make statement recorded her statement Ex.PW4/Z on 16.07.2013. In the said statement, which had also been duly signed by the doctor, she had only narrated the circumstance of her marriage, the demand of dowry raised by her in-laws and how she came to her paternal house and the threats by her in-laws to throw acid if she failed to meet their demand of Rs.10 lacs and a car and her filing petition for divorce, petitions for maintenance and application under the Domestic Violence Act. Though she mentioned that Harinder Singh had threatened a number of times to throw acid on her and burn her she made no mention of the specific act of acid attack on her and her father on 11.07.2013 and who perpetrated the said attack.

77. While deposing in Court as PW1 Shamsher Singh stated that on 11.07.2013 at about 9.30 am he along with his daughter were coming on scooter 36 of 41 CRA-D-1001-DB-2016(O&M) -37- to attend the divorce case at Civil Court Moga. When they reached near sem nallah near Gurukul School, the accused were hiding behind chari crop. One motorcycle was driven by Jaswinder Singh and its other occupant was Parwan Singh. Harinder Singh and Jagjit Singh @ Jagga were on other motorcycle which they had parked on the left side. Thereafter, Harinder Singh blew horn of the motorcycle and threw acid on his daughter Mandeep Kaur three times. The horn was blown as accused Harinder Singh intended to throw acid on the eyes of the complainant. Accused Harinder Singh threw acid on the face, back and legs of the complainant. The acid thrown by Harinder Singh on his daughter Mandeep Kaur fell on her entire body. The motive was that accused Harinder Singh and his family demanded a luxury car from the complainant. His son Sandeep Singh who was following them reached at the spot and got them admitted in Civil Hospital, Moga.

78. PW2 Mandeep Kaur in her deposition in Court stated that her marriage was solemnized with accused Harinder Singh on 23.01.2010. She also deposed about how she was duped by Harinder Singh into solemnizing the marriage with him by claiming that he was working as ASI in Punjab Police, was a Graduate and owned 08 acres of land apart from his threat to make public some obscene pictures allegedly made after serving her cold drink laced with intoxicants. When she learnt that all that was untrue, a quarrel started between him and Harinder Singh. The accused and his family demanded a luxury car and Rs.10 lacs. As her family could not meet the demands of her in-laws family, accused Harinder Singh started threatening her with dire consequences. She submitted various applications to the Police, but to no effect. She filed a petition 37 of 41 CRA-D-1001-DB-2016(O&M) -38- for divorce, besides an application under Section 125 Cr.P.C. seeking maintenance. She also filed a petition under Domestic Violence Act at Moga. She also narrated about the incident of throwing the acid on her and her father on 11.07.2013 when they were on their way to attend the Court at Moga. She also stated that when they crossed village Kokari Kalan behind Gurukul School, then two bikes came there - one from the left side and another from the right side. The motorcycle on the right side being was driven by Deepinder Singh, Parwan Singh was the pillion rider. The motorcycle on the left side was driven by Jagga and Harinder Singh was sitting behind him. She deposed regarding Harinder Singh throwing acid on her and her father, where after, they fell down. Her brother Sandeep Singh who was following them on a bike witnessed the entire evidence and took both of them to Civil Hospital, Moga. From there, they were referred to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, Faridkot and later to DMC, Ludhiana.

79. From the above, it is clear that in his initial statement Ex.PA before the police PW1 has only named Harinder Singh. PW2 in her statement Mark-D recorded on 16.07.2013 she did not even make a mention of the incident dated 11.07.2013 of acid throwing on them. It is only in their deposition in Court they have named all the four appellants.

80. If PW1 and PW2 had known the names of all the occupants of the motorcycle, why were they mentioned as unidentified and their names not disclosed? There is no plausible explanation for this. Only the name of Harinder Singh figured in the initial statement of PW1 Shamsher Singh. Further, both PW1 and PW 2 in their statements before the police had specifically stated that Harinder Singh had threatened that if the dowry demands were not met and the cases are not 38 of 41 CRA-D-1001-DB-2016(O&M) -39- withdrawn he would throw acid on them. This is exactly what he did when PW1 and PW2 were on their way to attend the Court proceedings in connection with the divorce case. Evidently, accused Harinder Singh knew that PW1 and PW2 would be going to attend the Court proceedings. He with his companions way laid them and executed his foul deed. Thus, there can be no doubt about the involvement of accused Harinder Singh and that he actually threw the acid on PW1 and PW2 causing serious injuries to them.