Man gets life term for battering sister-in-law to death

Additional Sessions Judge Nisha Saxena sentenced 35-year-old Raju after convicting him for committing an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 (Part I) on the Indian penal Code.

Observing that the convict had "nipped a young life in bud," the court said he should be given a "stringent punishment" to send a message to the society "not to play with young, innocent lives".

"The accused has nipped in the bud a young life who had just been married and had to realise many of its unfulfilled dreams. Without any rhyme or reason, he extinguished a life of 19-year-old and therefore, he needs to be given stringent punishment to send a message across to the society not to play with young, innocent lives.

"I am of the view that the ends of justice would be sub-served if the accused is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life and also to pay a fine of Rs 10,000," the court said.

According to the prosecution, Raju had asked his teenaged sister-in-law to wash his clothes and she had responded saying that she would do it the next day.

Enraged by her reply, the convict had picked up a piece of stone and attacked her, hitting on her head, face and eyes with it, the prosecution had said adding that due to the assault, the victim's skull had been fractured and she had bled to death before having been rushed to the hospital.

The convict's counsel had pleaded for leniency saying he was in custody for about four years, is the sole earning member of his family and had no prior criminal record, but the plea was rejected.