Mumbai court sentences man to life in prison for setting wife on fire
The prosecution’s case was based on the wife’s dying declaration and the deposition of their daughter, who was 15 at the time of deposition.
The sessions court on Monday sentenced a man to lifetime imprisonment in a 4-year-old case, wherein he was accused of killing his wife by pouring kerosene and setting her on fire. The incident occurred following an argument the couple had over the husband’s alleged extra-marital affair.
The court convicted the accused, Mohan Mali, a resident of Andheri, on the basis of his wife Madhvi Mali’s dying declaration and the April 2017 deposition of their daughter, who was 15 at the time. As per the prosecution case, the couple often fought over the Mohan’s affair. On October 12, 2014 also, Mohan physically abused Madhvi following a heated argument.
Madhvi, in her dying declaration, claimed that she had gone to sleep after their argument. She said she was awakened in the middle of the night, and found Madhav pouring kerosene on her. After this, he set her on fire.He then set her on fire, she claimed. She was rushed to Nair hospital by the neighbours and Mohan was handed over to the police.
As per the medical report, she had sustained 85 to 90% burn injuries and succumbed to them during the treatment. The couple had three children. According to the daughter’s deposition, the couple used to fight frequently because Mohan had an affair with a woman and would often bring her to the house. Two days before the incident, he had asked her to purchase two litres of kerosene.
The prosecutor, Shulabha Joshi, claimed that the kerosene purchased by their daughter was later used by the accused to set Madhvi on fire.