Black magic case: HC quashes life-term sentence over lack of evidence

CHENNAI: Madras High Court quashed the life-term imprisonment of a man who allegedly killed his aunty suspecting that she was practicing black magic against his family.

A division bench of the Madras High Court passed the orders on the grounds that the prosecution had failed to prove the case and there was no adequate evidence.

The bench consisting of Justices M Sundar and M Nirmal Kumar set aside the 2010 order of district and women’s sessions judge, Cuddalore which convicted Sathish to a life-term.

According to the judges, while other witnesses have turned hostile, it was only the husband of the deceased who had given the statement as a prosecution witness (PW1).

However, the appellant’s counsel submitted that the witness Pakkiri was not at the scene of the crime when the incident was said to have happened.

Recording the submissions, the court set aside the trial court’s order and Sathish was set free.

The case of the prosecution was Sathish stabbed his aunty Savithiri with a knife in 2009. It is noted that the deceased was none other than his father’s elder brother’s wife.

As Sathish believed that Savithiri was practicing black magic to prevent Sathish’s family to get a male heir, he stormed into the house of his aunty and stabbed her to death.