UP Man Gets Life In Jail For Killing Stepmother Over Land Dispute

A court here has sentenced a man to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of culpable homicide of his stepmother nearly five years ago over a family dispute, police said.

Additional Sessions Judge Gyan Prakash Tiwari also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him for the crime.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on October 3, 2020, in Parasiya village under the Rasra police station limits, where 45-year-old Tara Devi was attacked with a sharp weapon on her neck, leading to her death.

An FIR was lodged based on a written complaint by Tara Devi, in which she named her husband Shribhagwan Chaurasia and stepson Dharmveer Chaurasia alias Pankaj as accused and relevant sections of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code were levelled against them. After investigation, the police filed a chargesheet against both.

Police said Shribhagwan Chaurasia had two marriages. From his first marriage, he had three daughters and a son, Pankaj. While two daughters were already married, the family was preparing for the third daughter's wedding. Pankaj had reportedly been pressuring his stepmother Tara Devi to sell land purchased in her name to fund the marriage.

The dispute over the sale of the land escalated, culminating in Pankaj killing Tara Devi with a sharp weapon.

Ballia Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh said on Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge Gyan Prakash Tiwari, after hearing both sides, found Dharmveer Chaurasia alias Pankaj guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000.

However, due to lack of evidence, the court acquitted Shribhagwan Chaurasia, Tara Devi's husband, in the case.

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