Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday upheld the life imprisonment of a man convicted of brutally murdering his 18-week pregnant wife in January 2014, calling him a “cold-blooded killer” who “snuffed out not one but two lives”. A division bench of Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Rai Chattopadhyay dismissed the husband’s appeal against his conviction, saying, “The petitioner must be presumed to have been aware of the pregnancy of the victim. The husband, therefore, has taken two lives. He has been ‘reckless and inhuman,” the court said in its March 5 order.
Repeatedly Attacked With Shovel, Strangulated With Nylon Rope
The bench noted that the accused did not stop at repeatedly attacking his wife with a shovel. The assault escalated into a prolonged act of violence, where he tied a nylon rope around her neck and dragged her in a deliberate attempt to kill her. The court observed that the act lasted 20 to 30 minutes, making it clear that it was not committed in the “heat of the moment”.
The crime was exposed by the couple’s young son, who was 10-years-old then. The judges placed significant importance to the testimony of the son. The child had witnessed the attack from inside the house and consistently maintained his account during the proceedings. The court noted he had no reason to falsely implicate his own father and that his statement remained unimpeached.
According to case records, the incident dates back to January 21, 2014, when the accused attacked his wife amid ongoing domestic abuse linked to dowry demands. The victim’s family later told police that she had been subjected to repeated harassment for failing to bring money from her parental home.
As per the records, it was the child who alerted his grandfather over the phone, informing him that his father had killed his mother. Acting on the information, the victim’s father approached the police and lodged a complaint, leading to the investigation.
The prosecution established that the woman, who was 18 weeks pregnant at the time, was first struck multiple times with a shovel and then strangled using a nylon rope. A trial court in Howrah had in March 2017 convicted the accused under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC, sentencing him to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 3,000.
During the trial, the child witness stated that he saw his father assaulting his mother through a window. He clearly deposed that his father repeatedly assaulted the victim first with the sabol and thereafter tied a nylon rope around her neck and dragged her. The defence failed to discredit his testimony.
The court also rejected suggestions that the child had been tutored, noting there was no delay in recording his statement before the police and magistrate. His presence at the scene, familiarity with the house, and ability to identify both parents left little room for doubt over the reliability of his account.
The bench further noted that the crime took place at dawn inside the family home, where adequate lighting could be presumed. It also dismissed arguments relating to the victim’s condition, stating that even if she had consumed alcohol, it could not justify the violent assault.
Reinforcing its conclusion, the court stated that the victim was 18 weeks pregnant at the time, making the act all the more grave and inhuman.
