KARACHI: A model court has handed down death sentence to a man for burning his wife to death over a domestic dispute.

Accused Rajesh alias Raju was found guilty of setting ablaze Radha in Gulbahar on Oct 7, 2020.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Liaqat Ali Khoso of the Model Criminal Trial Court (Central) pronounced his verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides. The judge noted that the prosecution successfully proved the charge against the accused.

The court ordered him to pay Rs1 million as compensation to the legal heirs of the victim or undergo six-month additional imprisonment in case of default.

However, the death sentence is subject to confirmation by the Sindh High Court.

According to the prosecution, on the day of the incident Rajesh called complainant Ravi and told him that his sister had suffered burn injuries. The accused cooked up a story that Radha caught fire in the worship area because of the mustard oil, it added.

Court finds Rajesh guilty of burning Radha to death in their home in 2020

Her brother was further informed that the victim was under treatment at the Burns Ward of the Civil Hospital Karachi.

State prosecutors Shakeel Ahmed and Dilip Kumar argued that during treatment the victim had disclosed that she was set on fire by her husband following a quarrel between them.

They further argued that the husband of the victim deliberately restrained the complainant from informing the police about the incident until her treatment was completed.

However, the prosecutors said that Radha died in the government health facility on Oct 12, 2020.

They submitted that it was the need of hour to protect the life of a woman when she was most vulnerable and at the mercy of the male members of matrimonial house. Generally no one can dare to lodge the cases against them, they added.

The prosecution also produced a medical officer of the hospital, who deposed that the cause of the death was cardio pulmonary arrest due to fire burn injuries.

In his statement, recorded under Section 342 of the criminal procedure code, the accused denied the allegations and claimed to have been framed in the present case.

He also produced three witnesses in his defence, including Sham Lal, Mohan Lal alias Karan and Kishor.

However, the judge did not consider their testimonies strong enough to dent the case of the prosecution.

A case was registered under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Gulbahar police station on the complaint of victim’s brother Ravi.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2022