Madhya Pradesh: Man Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Wife’s Dowry Murder After 19 Years

Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): A court in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his wife over dowry. The case dates back 19 years, and the accused had been absconding for years. The Additional Sessions Judge, Manoj Kumar Tiwari, also imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on the convict.

The case pertains to November 15, 2006, when Ramniwas Singh, a resident of Manphule Ka Pura in Morena district, received information that his daughter, Rita, had been killed at her in-laws' house in Mallpura village, Pawai police station area. Upon reaching the location, the family found Rita’s burnt body, while all her in-laws had fled.

Investigations revealed that the accused, Ganesh, along with his family, had been harassing Rita for ₹50,000 in cash and a two-tola gold chain. Rita had previously lodged a dowry harassment complaint on April 24, 2005, at Sihoniya police station. However, a settlement was later reached through a village panchayat. When the demands were not met, Ganesh and his family poured kerosene on Rita and set her on fire, leading to her death. A case was registered under Sections 304B, 498A of the IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act.

In 2010, the court sentenced the accused’s father, Jayashriram, to 10 years in jail. The absconding husband, Ganesh, was later arrested and produced in court. The prosecution presented 10 witnesses, based on which the court found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.