Thane Sessions Court Sentences Kalyan Man To Life Imprisonment For Murdering Wife By Setting Her Ablaze Over Character Suspicions

Thane, June 24: The Thane Sessions Court has convicted a 26-year-old Kalyan resident for murdering his wife by pouring kerosene on her and setting her ablaze following frequent quarrels arising from his suspicions about her character. The court sentenced the accused, Shahir Devram Parkhe, to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000.

Court Relies On Dying Declarations

Additional Sessions Judge B.D. Shelke, while passing the verdict, relied on the victim’s dying declarations, oral statements made to independent witnesses, medical evidence and material recovered from the scene, including a kerosene-smelling bottle, burnt clothes and matchsticks.

The court held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the death was homicidal and not suicidal, rejecting the defence claim that the victim had set herself on fire.

According to the prosecution, the victim, Payal Arjun Vidhyasagar, had entered into a love marriage with the accused and the couple was residing in a rented room at Daighar in Diva, Thane. As per the witness statements, it was proved that the accused used to harass and ill-treat the deceased over suspicions regarding her character.

Incident And Investigation

On the night of March 17-18, 2020, when the accused came home in an inebriated state, he entered into an altercation with his wife and, in a fit of rage, poured kerosene on her body, set her ablaze and fled from the spot.

The victim sustained about 70 per cent burn injuries and was rushed to Civil Hospital, Thane. Before succumbing to her injuries on March 23, 2020, she gave statements to the police and an Executive Magistrate, both of which named her husband as the assailant.

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Death Penalty Plea Rejected

The prosecution had sought the death penalty for the accused, but it was rejected by the court, holding that the case did not fit into the "rarest of rare" category. The court held that the mitigating circumstances outweighed the aggravating factors and ruled that life imprisonment would meet the ends of justice.

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