Balasore: In a landmark judgment, the Additional District and Sessions Court at Soro in this district sentenced a man and his parents to life imprisonment Thursday for their involvement in a dowry death case dating back to 2012. The court, presided over by Judge Meenakshi Dash, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each convict, with an additional eight months of imprisonment in case of default. The convicted individuals have been identified as Santosh Barik and his parents, Binod Barik and Sanjumani Barik, residents of Simulia village. According to prosecution records, Santosh married Swapna Barik of Khadgapur village in 2010.
After the marriage, Santosh and his parents allegedly subjected Swapna to both physical and mental harassment, repeatedly demanding additional dowry from her family. Tragically, Swapna later died due to poisoning under suspicious circumstances. Following her death, her father, Gangadhar Barik, filed an FIR at Soro police station June 30, 2012, citing dowry-related harassment.
Police registered a case under Sections 304(B) and 498(A) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, leading to the arrest of the accused trio. After careful examination of 18 witnesses and review of documentary and material evidence, the court delivered its verdict Thursday, bringing long-awaited justice to Swapna’s family.
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