In a case of gender bias and domestic violence, a local court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment after he murdered his wife for allegedly not giving him a son, in Shahjahanpur district. The court also sentenced the accused’s father and uncle each to four years in prison for helping him dispose of the body and destroy evidence.
The verdict was delivered by the court of additional sessions judge Ashish Verma, who found Guddu, from Majhra village in Jalalabad, guilty of killing his wife Premlata and disposing of her body in the Behgul River with the help of his father Madanpal and uncle Walister.
According to the complaint filed by Premlata’s father, Ramprakash, a resident of Bahariya village under Mirzapur police station limits, his daughter had been married to Guddu for 12 years before her death in 2018. The couple had four daughters, one of whom had died.
Guddu was reportedly unhappy about not having a son and frequently quarrelled with Premlata over the issue.
Ramprakash stated in his FIR, lodged on August 13, 2018, that Guddu often made disturbing remarks, saying that if Premlata were to die, he would remarry. This claim was also supported by Ramprakash’s younger daughter, Kiran.
On August 12, 2018, Ramprakash, who was in Panipat at the time, received a phone call about his daughter Premlata being seriously ill. Alarmed, he rushed to her marital home only to find that the house was locked from the outside. Upon further inquiry, he learned that Premlata, Guddu, and their three children had been missing for three to four days.
{{/usCountry}}On August 12, 2018, Ramprakash, who was in Panipat at the time, received a phone call about his daughter Premlata being seriously ill. Alarmed, he rushed to her marital home only to find that the house was locked from the outside. Upon further inquiry, he learned that Premlata, Guddu, and their three children had been missing for three to four days.
{{/usCountry}}Following a formal police complaint, an investigation was launched. As per additional district government counsel (ADGC) Ashish Tripathi, police recovered Premlata’s body from the Behgul River based on information provided by Guddu during interrogation. The body was found with its hands and feet tied, confirming foul play.
“The court framed charges of murder and destruction of evidence against Guddu, while his father Madanpal and uncle Walister were tried under charges of tampering with evidence. During the trial, the court concluded that Guddu had indeed murdered Premlata and, with the assistance of his father and uncle, attempted to cover up the crime by dumping her body in the river,” the ADGC said.
Judge Ashish Verma handed Guddu a life sentence for murder and awarded four years of imprisonment each to Madanpal and Walister for their role in destroying evidence.