Man gets life for killing wife

A man, who surrendered himself before police after killing his wife but later took up the alibi of insanity, has been sentenced to life term by a Delhi court. "This court holds that the accused did commit murder of his wife," the court said.

A man, who surrendered himself before police after killing his wife but later took up the alibi of insanity, has been sentenced to life term by a Delhi court. "This court holds that the accused did commit murder of his wife," the court said.

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"The conduct of the accused and other materials on record do not support the plea of mental unsoundness required for the purposes of general defence under Section 84 IPC," he added.

The court rejected accused Pappu's defence that he was suffering from epileptic insanity and cannot be held liable for any offence under the IPC, as nothing is an offence which is done by a person who, at the time of doing it, by reason of unsoundness of mind, is incapable of knowing the nature of his act. Rejecting the accused alibi of mental insanity and epileptic fit, the court quoted various apex court rulings to say that insanity or unsoundness of mind has to be shown at the time of the commission of offence.

It said though Pappu is shown to have got fits even on the day of the incident, "there is nothing in the statement of this witness that at the time of commission of the present occurrence, the accused suffered from any such fits."