Wife’s plea helps cut jail term

A man charged with attempted murder of his wife had his sentence reduced, after the wife pleaded with the Bombay high Court for a lesser sentence.

A man charged with attempted murder of his wife had his sentence reduced, after the wife pleaded with the Bombay high Court for a lesser sentence.

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Chandrashekhar Telegaonkar’s (31) sentence was reduced from ten years to five by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court.

Talegaonkar’s wife Surekha was nearly killed when he set her on fire two years ago under the influence of alcohol.

“The incident had occurred when the appellant was under the influence of liquor and considering the wife's plea, interest of justice would be met if substantive sentence of imprisonment is brought down to five years from ten years,” observed Justice A.P. Bhangale.

On March 6, 2008 the sessions court at Nagpur sentenced Telegaonkar, a resident of Katol in Nagpur district, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to murder his wife Surekha.

Surekha and Telegaonkar married in 1999 and have two minor daughters from their wedlock. Since their marriage, Telegaonkar was addicted to liquor and couple often quarrelled over the issue.

According to the prosecution, in 2007 Telegaonkar set Surekha on fire following a spat under the influence of alcohol. However, she survived as neighbours came to her rescue. After Telegaonkar’s arrest, Surekha went to stay with her mother along with her two children.

During the trial, Surekha made an application before the sessions court that she was unable to shoulder responsibility of two minor daughters and her mother was asking her to leave the house. Hence she “needs the company of her husband”, she said.

The trial court did not consider her application and awarded ten years imprisonment to Telegaonkar, who appealed in the high court. Justice Bhangale upheld the conviction but reduced his sentence.