12 yrs on, woman gets RI for life in sister-in-law's murder case

Chandigarh, June 9

Nearly 12 years after a woman was set ablaze, Nawanshahr District and Session Judge Kanwaljit Singh Bajwa has sentenced her sister-in-law to rigorous imprisonment for life after the prosecution successfully proved the charges.

She was on the run till her arrest on April 7, 2019. The husband and motherin-law have already been sentenced to life.

It was alleged in the FIR registered on August 31, 2011, at Mukandpur police station that the married woman, set ablaze, was rushed to a hospital by the neighbours for treatment of burn injuries. Her dying declaration was recorded by the then Chief Judicial Magistrate on the day the FIR was registered and she succumbed to her injuries on September 6, 2011.

The judgment is significant as her father and brother had resiled from their statements. Judge Bajwa was, however, of the opinion that conviction could be ordered on the basis of the dying declaration, if it was recorded and proven in accordance with law.

The Judge was also of the opinion that “truth sits upon the lips of a dying man”. The victim had, in her dying declaration, accused her husband Romi, mother-in-law Rani and sister-in-law Paramjit Kaur for setting her ablaze.

The defence counsel’s plea, on the other hand, was that the incident occurred due to the bursting of a stove. He also claimed non-presence of the third accused and challenged the dying declaration by referring to Supreme Court and High Court judgments.

Judge Bajwa did not agree with contentions and held the accused guilty after considering the pleas taken by the convict, going through the record and keeping in view the gravity and nature of the offence committed by her. The accused was sentenced to life term under Section 302 with 34 of IPC. A fine of Rs 10,000 was also imposed.