An Additional Sessions Court in Gautam Buddha Nagar has delivered a decisive verdict in an 11-year-old murder case, sentencing a woman and her paramour to life imprisonment for the killing of her husband. The court pronounced the judgment on Friday, holding both accused guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Gruesome Crime and Initial Investigation
The case dates back to the intervening night of June 15 and 16, 2014, in the Bisrakh area of Noida. The victim, Rajkumar, was found dead, his body hanging from a tree. Suspicion immediately fell on his wife, Kamla, and their cousin, Pushpendra, following a complaint filed by Rajkumar's brother, Amarpal.
In his FIR to the Bisrakh police, Amarpal alleged that Kamla and Pushpendra were involved in an illicit extramarital affair and had conspired to eliminate Rajkumar. He stated that he discovered his brother's body and strongly believed the duo was responsible for the murder. Based on his complaint, a case was registered under the relevant IPC sections.
Court Proceedings and Key Testimonies
The prosecution built its case on compelling testimonies from family and neighbours. Amarpal, a prime witness, recounted a harrowing scene to the court. He testified that on the night of the incident, he had gone to his under-construction house adjacent to Rajkumar's. There, he witnessed Rajkumar being thrashed by Kamla and Pushpendra. When he attempted to intervene, he was forcibly pushed away.
The defence counsel for the accused contested the charges, arguing that there was no direct eyewitness to the murder and that the prosecution's narrative lacked concrete proof. Kamla expressed surprise at the accusations, while Pushpendra claimed an alibi, stating he was at his sister's home that night.
However, the neighbour's testimony proved crucial. A neighbour named Pushkar confirmed hearing a commotion and fights from Rajkumar's house on that fateful night. He also corroborated the long-standing suspicion in the locality regarding Kamla's illicit relationship with her brother-in-law, Pushpendra, which was a known cause of regular disputes. It was Pushkar who, the next morning, found Rajkumar's body hanging from a neem tree.
Medical Evidence and Final Judgment
The medical evidence presented by Dr. Anuj Malik sealed the fate of the accused. The doctor's post-mortem report established that the cause of death was strangulation. Furthermore, Dr. Malik confirmed the presence of ante-mortem injury marks on Rajkumar's body, indicating that he was severely manhandled and assaulted before being strangled.
After evaluating all evidence and testimonies, the Additional Sessions Court-II of GB Nagar found Kamla and Pushpendra guilty. The court sentenced both to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 each. The court also ordered that the sentence be adjusted against the time the accused had already spent in jail during the trial. The charges against the duo had been framed by the sessions court earlier on November 22, 2014.
This verdict brings a long-delayed closure to a case that highlights the tragic consequences of extramarital affairs turning violent. The court's reliance on circumstantial evidence and corroborative witness statements underscores the legal process's pursuit of justice even years after the crime.
