New Delhi:
A Delhi court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for hammering his wife to death here
seven years ago.
Additional Sessions Judge S K Sarvaria sent convict Bacha Ram to jail for life, relying on the circumstantial evidences against him.
"The prosecution has proved its case based on circumstantial evidence by proving each end and every part of the chain of incriminating circumstances appearing against Bacha Ram beyond the shadow of reasonable doubt for the charge under section 302 (murder) of IPC," Sarvaria said.
The court also took into account the fact that Bacha Ram was last seen with his wife before the murder. "The fact that the accused (Bacha Ram) and his wife were last seen together and they were living in the same room in which the murder was committed, is a very strong incriminating circumstance against the accused leading to the presumption that accused has committed the murder in question," the court noted.
According the medical experts, the injuries inflicted upon victim Kusum, resulting in her death, could have been by the hammer which was recovered by the police from the spot having blood stains on it.
"It (hammer) may not be a very strong piece of evidence against the accused as it is not recovered at the instance of or from direct possession of accused, still it is one of the incriminating circumstances as the said hammer is recovered near the dead body of victim from the room in which accused was living," the court said.
According to the prosecution, Bacha Ram murdered his wife Kusum on September 30, 2003 at their residence in Uttam Nagar area of West Delhi. The body of the victim was found lying in a pool of blood on the cot.
Kusum was married to Bacha Ram in June 2002 and her family members alleged that she was tortured by her husband for dowry.
The convict, however, denied the charges levelled against him and contended that he was only annoyed with her suspecting her of having illicit relations with one Ram Parkash.
He further said that he was not present in his house as he had already left for his village on the day of the incident. The court, however, trashed his contentions and awarded him the punishment.