NEW DELHI: A 65-year-old woman and her son have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court for killing the latter's wife by setting her on fire four years ago. Additional Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandana held Sudesh (37) and Padmini guilty under Section 302 (murder) for burning Neetu to death in 2007. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the convicts.
The court, however, acquitted the duo under Section 304B (dowry death) and Section 498A (dowry harassment) of IPC for lack of evidence. The court also absolved Nanak Chand, father-in-law of the victim, of all charges.
The court relied heavily on the dying declaration and the medical reports of the victim to hold the accused guilty of the offence. "The CFSL report of the deceased and the dying declaration made by the deceased establishes the prosecution case completely," the court said in its judgment. The court said that the prosecution could not prove the allegations that the victim's death was a result of dowry harassment. The court even noted that the dying declaration of the victim did not have any mention of dowry harassment.
According to the prosecution, victim Neetu had recorded her statement to the police a day after the incident where she alleged that her mother-in-law and her husband set her on fire following an altercation. The prosecution said that Neetu and Padmini used to have frequent quarrels as the victim was working against her mother-in-law's wishes.
The prosecution examined 27 witnesses to prove its case. Victim Neetu died with 96% burn injuries. The couple was married in 2004 soon after which the deceased started having problems with her in-laws. A case was registered against the accused in Bara Hindu Rao police station. All the three accused were slapped with Section 498A (dowry harassment), 304B (dowry death), 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code.
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