Thane court hands life term to septuagenarian for murdering wife

A court in Thane district, Maharashtra, has sentenced a 71-year-old man to rigorous life imprisonment for murdering his bedridden wife, describing the act as a “deliberate and calculated killing.” 

Additional Sessions Judge VL Bhosale found Shobhnath Rajeshwar Shukla guilty under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of his wife, reported news agency PTI. 

According to the order dated June 12, which was made available on Monday, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the septuagenarian.

The court, while refusing to show leniency towards the accused, took note of the “calculated nature of murder” and “complete exploitation of the victim`s vulnerability”, saying “mercy cannot be extended at the cost of justice,” reported PTI. 

As per the case details, the victim died at her house in the Wagle Estate area of Thane city on November 8, 2019, and one of her sons was informed about her death. At the Civil Hospital, the victim`s son observed suspicious marks on her neck, covered with a white ointment, prompting him to file a police complaint.

The post-mortem report concluded that his wife`s death was due to asphyxia.

Additional public prosecutor R P Patil informed the court about the strained relationship between the elderly couple.

The victim, a widow with three sons from her first marriage, married Shobhnath, also a widower. According to PTI, the couple disputed a room constructed with money from the sale of Sharada`s first husband`s property. 

She wished to transfer her share of the room to her youngest son, but Shobhnath resisted, wanting it to be transferred to his son, Ashok.

The prosecution said the victim had become bedridden after a fall in June 2019, making her entirely dependent on Shobhnath for care.

Witnesses, including the victim`s sons, Vishal and Amol Yadav, testified to Shobhnath`s frequent complaints about the burden of her care and his threats about killing her.

Defence counsel Sandeep Yewale argued that it was a case of suicide, citing inconsistencies in witness testimonies and the medical officer`s inability to definitively opine on whether death was caused by hanging or strangulation.

The court, however, observed that the victim`s bedridden condition eliminated the possibility of suicide, as self-strangulation was anatomically impossible due to her physical limitation.

The judge, while convicting the accused, highlighted the threatening statements he had made, the property dispute, his frustration as a caregiver, and his suspicious behaviour post the incident, including his attempt to pass off the ligature mark as a “mangalsutra mark”, reported PTI. 

(With PTI inputs)

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