Life in jail for woman for killing grandson

A 62-year-old woman has been sentenced to life in prison for killing her minor grandson to take revenge on her daughter-in-law.

Additional Sessions Judge Savita Rao sentenced Beena to life imprisonment, and termed it "a most cruelsome act".

Slapping her with a fine of Rs.10,000, the court said: "... there is no doubt that a most cruelsome act has been done by the accused by taking away the precious life of her own grandson..."

"But considering her age, gender and also the fact that she is not keeping good health... the convict (Beena) is sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life," the court said.

The court said the motive on record with respect to the killing of the child Sameer by Beena was in order to take revenge on her daughter-in-law, who in Beena's opinion had separated her son from her.

Beena had also threatened her daughter-in-law a day prior to the incident, the court said.

"The accused in the heat of annoyance and in order to take revenge from her daughter-in-law seemed to have killed her grandson, (she) thereafter tried to commit suicide herself, probably apprehending the consequences which would follow after the commission of such a heinous crime or being remorseful..."

"But whatsoever may be the extent of the strained relationship or her anger towards her daughter-in-law can never justify the killing of an innocent child and taking away a precious life," the court said in its order delivered Monday and which was released to the media Thursday.

According to the prosecution, the woman who lived in east Delhi's Burari area killed her grandson Sep 30, 2011 by strangling him.

The prosecution said Beena has a strained relationship with her daughter-in-law and a quarrel took place between them Sep 28, 2011.

"Beena accused her daughter-in-law of separating her husband from his mother (Beena), and therefore, she (Beena) said she will snatch her son," police said.