Chennai court orders compensation for kids after father strangles mother with school belt
Suresh strangled his wife with their son's school belt after being irritated about quarrels about his alleged illicit affair
Representative Image (Reuters)
CHENNAI: A special court in Chennai imposed a life sentence on a man accused of murdering his wife by strangulation. The court, considering the future of the accused person's children, recommended compensation from the Tamil Nadu Victim Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault and Other Crimes, 2018.
The Mahila court at Allikulam heard the case against Suresh (34), an event manager from Chennai booked on the charge of murdering his wife due to a family dispute.
The prosecution's case was that Suresh and Kalpana were in love and got married in 2009 with the consent of their families. However, things soon spiralled for the couple, with quarrels becoming part of the daily routine. Witnesses' statements reflected that the pair had not been on good terms for the past 10 years. Kalpana also had suspicions of Suresh being involved in an extramarital affair, prompting continuous brawls between the couple, said the prosecution.
On September 11, 2018, Kalpana confronted her husband about the alleged illicit affair and his attitude of not supporting the family financially. Irritated by the accusation, Suresh strangled Kalpana with their son's school belt. After she fell unconscious, Kalpana was taken to a hospital where she was declared as brought dead, the prosecution detailed.
Police booked a case against Suresh based on the complaint lodged by Kalpana's mother.
Perusing the documents and papers, the court held that the accused committed cruelty upon the deceased even before her death stands established through the evidence of prosecution witnesses under section 498A of IPC. Hence, the court found the accused guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment with a fine.
The life imprisonment of Suresh rendered their two children orphans; their loss and suffering due to the loss of their mother cannot be restituted, wrote the court. Considering the loss and suffering of the kids the court recommended compensation to them under Section 357 (1) (c) CrPC and also directed the district legal services authority to complete the process.
