Woman sentenced to life for setting niece on fire

The sessions court on Monday sentenced a woman to life imprisonment for the murder of her niece and the attempted murder of her sister-in-law over a property dispute. The court found that the accused intentionally set her niece on fire after dousing her with kerosene during a heated argument

The sessions court on Monday sentenced a woman to life imprisonment for the murder of her niece and the attempted murder of her sister-in-law over a property dispute. The court found that the accused intentionally set her niece on fire after dousing her with kerosene during a heated argument.

Woman sentenced to life for setting niece on fire

The incident, which took place in July 2020, stemmed from a long-standing feud over the ownership of a shared family home. The accused, Jayashree Kasabe, doused her sister-in-law and niece with kerosene and threw a lit matchstick at the latter. Mayuri, the niece, sustained severe burn injuries and passed away on July 28, 2020.

The defence, led by advocate V.K. Singh, argued that Jayashree was mentally unstable, suffering from schizophrenia.

However, the court, presided over by Dr. Gauri Kawdikar, rejected the insanity plea due to the lack of supporting medical documentation.

It found the prosecution’s evidence credible and consistent. The dying declarations and forensic evidence, including the presence of kerosene on Mayuri’s clothes, significantly weakened the defence’s claim that it was accidental.