Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): A special court (under SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act) of Judge Rajendra Prasad Soni in Mandsaur sentenced a woman and her lover to life imprisonment for killing the former’s mother. The court convicted the accused duo based on call details and scientific evidence, including DNA report of the man’s hair, which remained in the victim’s hand after the incident. According to information, the accused who were identified as Seema and Arif Ayyub Mansoori murdered Gopalbai after she objected to their inter-faith relationship. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 5k each on the accused.
Special Public Prosecutor of SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act Bhagwan Singh Chauhan said that accused Arif and Seema strangled Gopalbai to death on November 17, 2018 and looted some jewellery.
Planned to kill mother as she opposed
The police had registered a case in the matter on the report of victim Gopalbai's brother Dasaratha. During interrogation, Seema could not give any satisfactory answer. Later, she broke down and confessed to having a love affair with the accused. Seema said that she and Arif were in love and her mother and relatives were against it. On November 17, 2018, Seema's father and brother had gone to the farm to irrigate the crops, while Seema was at home. She called her lover Arif Ayyub Mansoori and his friend Babulal. At 11:30 pm, Seema held her mother's hands and Babulal held her legs. Arif strangled the woman. Later, they looted jewellery and fled.
Accused dropped his Aadhaar card
Police were able to catch the accused based on a DNA report as Arif’s hair remained in Gopalbai’s hand. Arif also dropped his Aadhaar card at the crime scene. The court, relying on the DNA report and circumstantial evidence, sentenced Seema and Ayub to life imprisonment under Section 302, read with Section 34, 120B of the IPC.
