E-Paper
Life sentence for Chandigarh man who killed wife for not bearing a child
36-year-old Maloya resident, who had beaten his wife to death in November 2019, doesn’t deserve any sympathy, said the Chandigarh court
Over four years after a Maloya resident murdered his wife for not bearing a child, a local court has sentenced him to life in prison.
“In the present case, an innocent girl namely Sheetal @Solave, was murdered by the convict just to get rid of her. The convict is none other than her husband. In these circumstances this court is of the view that he does not deserve any sympathy of the court,” observed the court of additional sessions judge.
“In order to save society, such like crimes are liable to be handled with an iron hand by awarding appropriate punishment as prescribed under law,” it added, while also imposing a fine of ₹25,000 on the convict, Anoop Singh, 36.
According to the prosecution, on November 5, 2019, Sheetal’s father Soni Kumar approached the police about his daughter’s murder.
Kumar informed the police that Sheetal married Anoop on November 14, 2015. They had frequent quarrels over Anoop remaining idle. After she could not conceive a child, the discord worsened and her in-laws threatened to throw her out of the house.
On the afternoon of November 5, 2019, he received a call from Sheetal’s neighbour, informing that Anoop had beaten his daughter severely, strangled her and she was being taken to GMSH, Sector 16.
The father said when he reached the hospital, he found his daughter dead, with strangulation and nail marks on the neck.
Public prosecutor JP Singh argued that during trial, the deceased’s father and brother categorically stated in one voice that the deceased was maltreated at the hands of the accused due to non-conception of child. Even the investigating officer had endorsed this fact.
On the other hand, the defence pleaded that Sheetal ended her life herself due to non-conception.
However, the court observed: “The theory of suicide projected by the defence has fallen like a house of cards. Rather, the plea of defence endorses the prosecution version that Sheetal @ Solave was murdered by the accused to get rid of her.”
It added that the prosecution had also remained successful in proving the motive behind the crime. “For murder of his own wife of young age committed by convict Anoop Singh in a brutal manner, he is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for his life and to pay a fine of ₹25,000 for commission of offence punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.”
