Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SS)
Mangaluru, Jun 28: The First Additional District and Sessions Court, Dakshina Kannada, Mangaluru has sentenced a man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and penalised him for killing his wife over a petty fight.
Johnson K M (41), son of Mathew, a resident of Neriyakadu Kottakkara of Neriya village near Dharmasthala was convicted of committing the crime.
The court sentenced him to 3 years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC Section 498 along with a fine of Rs 10,000 failing which an additional jail term of six months and a seven-year term under 304 (2) was imposed along with a fine of Rs 10,000. If the convict fails to pay the penalty another term of one year of simple imprisonment was given as judgment.
Johnson had fought with his wife Sowmya Francis (36) on January 7, 2021 over a trivial matter in the night when the husband hit her with a rod for raising her voice at him. The wife, who was severely injured, was taken to a hospital in Kakkinje. Due to the severity of the injury, she was then taken to a hospital in Ujire where she died.
Sowmya's brother Sanoj Francis filed a complaint with Beltangady police in this regard and charged that his sister was subjected to mental and physical torture by her husband. He also alleged that there was a heated argument in the church at a point of time. He said in the complaint that his sister continued to be tormented by her husband.
The police took up the investigation under Beltangady circle inspector Sandesh P G who submitted the chargesheet to the court.
During the hearing of the case, the court examined 23 witnesses and 41 documents were presented.
According to the post-mortem report, as there were previous injury marks on her body, a report was submitted that she was subjected to physical abuse as well.
The court observed that though there were injuries it was not a murder but a man slaughter (homicide) under IPC Section 304 (2). The court also took into consideration the detailed autopsy report given by Dr Sooraj Shetty of KMC.
The sentence was pronounced by judge H S Mallikarjuna Swamy and Judith O M Crasta was the public prosecutor.