Page 2 - LN Std - 8 - civics - Chap 5 - Subtopic -2 Structures of court in India
P. 2
• In Feb 1980 Laxman Kumar married 20 year old Sudha Goel and lived in a
nd
flat in Delhi with Laxman’s brothers and their families. On 2 Dec 1980
Sudha died in hospital due to burns. Her family filed a case and in the trial,
her neighbours were called as witnesses. They had heard Sudha scream and
had taken her to hospital with severe burns. Sudha had stated that her
mother-in-law had poured kerosene oil on her and her husband had lit the
fire. The trial court had convicted Laxman, his mother and brother-in-
law and had sentenced all three of them to death. In 1983 all three accused
went to the High Court to appeal and the hearing decided that Sudha had
died due to an accidental fire and the three were acquitted.
• The above High Court judgement deeply troubled women and they held
demonstrations and they filed separate appeal against the High Court
decision in the Supreme Court through the Federation of Women
Lawyers.
• In 1985 the Supreme Court heard the argument and found Laxman and
his mother guilty and acquitted his brother-in-law for lack of evidence.
Laxman and his mother were sent to prison for life.
