E-Paper
Panchkula: Man who killed wife awarded life sentence
The court of additional district and session judge Praveen Kumar Lal found Sachidanand Mishra, 37, guilty of murder as well as destruction of evidence
Nearly seven years after an auto-rickshaw driver killed his wife and dumped her body in the forest area of Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) in August 2016, a local court has sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The court of additional district and session judge Praveen Kumar Lal found Sachidanand Mishra, 37, guilty of murder as well as destruction of evidence.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹60,000 on the convict, who hails from Uttar Pradesh.
As per case files, Mishra was seen disposing of the body by a tea vendor, Ram Lakhan, on August 22, 2016.
Lakhan had told the police that he had gone to relieve himself in roadside bushes in MDC around 6 am, when he saw a three-wheeler, coming from Kishangarh, stopping in the forest area. The auto driver threw something wrapped in a cloth it in the bushes and drove off. On approaching the spot, Lakhan found the body of a woman, who was wearing a pink sari. He alerted his neighbour and sounded the police, who later identified the deceased as Sunita.
Mishra was arrested from Palika Bazaar, Sector 19, Chandigarh, on August 31, 2016, with the help of CCTV footage. His three-wheeler was also recovered.
To build the case against Mishra, police had relied on the statement of his landlord Santosh, a resident of Kishangarh.
Santosh had told the police that she had rented out the first floor of her house to Mishra and Sunita on August 21, 2016. The very next morning, she heard someone falling on the ground around 6 am and found Sunita lying injured in the courtyard, with Mishra standing close by.
Santosh had said she asked Mishra to take Sunita to the hospital, so he moved her to his auto and drove away. Thereafter, he never returned. The landlord had later identified the body and even Mishra in court.
