SC upholds life sentence of doctor who killed medico wife

"As the appellant had a strained relationship with his wife, he no doubt wanted to get rid of her. Although he has claimed that the petitions for divorce by mutual consent were pending before the court, he has never submitted any documents with respect to this before the court," a bench of justices B S Chauhan and Ibrahim Kalifullah said.

"Thus, inference may be drawn that the appellant did in fact wish to get rid of his wife.

"As the recoveries of the blood stained gunny bag, dumb bell, tie etc. Were made on the basis of the disclosure statement of the appellant himself, the chain of circumstances is therefore, complete," the apex court said.

The bench passed the judgement while dismissing the appeal of Dr Sunil Clifford Daniel who murdered his wife Dr Loyalla Shagoufta on March 9, 1996.

According to the prosecution, the couple were working in the Christian Medical College Hospital, Ludhiana, but owing to strained relationship Daniel strangulated her after a scuffle.

The sessions court in Ludhiana awarded Daniel life term and the Punjab and Haryana High Court affirmed it upon which he appealed in the apex court claiming that he was innocent and the two courts had solely relied on circumstantial evidence in arriving at the conclusion of his guilt. MORE