Chennai: Woman kills husband, but may walk free

After she surrendered at Otteri police station with the hammer, the police registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of IPC but have not remanded her so far. The police did not arrest her, as she killed her husband to rescue the girl and can thus avail the provision of IPC Section 100 (Right of private defence), noted a senior officer. “We are taking a statement from the girl and will decide on further action,” the officer added.

Police said the woman, a native of Kerala, lived with her husband and his parents as a joint family at their house at Vazhaima Nagar in Otteri for the past two decades.

While the girl often stays with her grandparents, on Thursday night, she slept with her parents as her grandparents were away at one of their relative’s houses.

While the woman, husband and their 11-year-old son were sleeping on the cot, their daughter slept on the floor. In the wee hours, the woman woke up to the cries of her daughter and found her husband trying to sexually assault the girl.

As she could not push her husband away, she fished out a hammer and hit him repeatedly on his head, killing him on the spot. She later surrendered at the police station.