Mangalore: Death of pregnant wife - Husband gets 8 years in jail

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jun 29: The third additional district and sessions court here has sentenced a person to eight years of rigorous imprisonment, and imposed a fine of Rs 60,000. The court found Rajesh alias Rajkumar from Koltige village in the taluk, guilty of causing the death of his pregnant wife by inflicting mental harassment.

Reshma, wife of Rajesh, who was pregnant, had committed suicide on August 1, 2011, unable to stand the incessant harassment meted out to her by Rajesh, and his mother, Pushpavathi. She had many a time told her parents and siblings about the horrible time she was going through at her husband’s home in the hands of her husband and mother-in-law. It is said that the two brought immense pressure on Reshma to the extent that she had no other alternative but to end her life.

Upon her death, Reshma’s brother, Naveen Shetty Vittal, filed a complaint in Vittal police station, seeking stern action against the culprits. The police, after holding investigations, had filed charge sheet against Rajesh and Pushpavathi. The court, observing that Rajesh has been found guilty of mentally harassing his wife, sentenced him. Pushpavathi has been exonerated of the charges, after finding that charges against her were not conclusively proved.

Rajesh was given three years imprisonment and fine of Rs 10,000 for crimes falling under section 498 (a) of Indian Penal Code, and  five years sentence and fine of Rs 50,000 under section 306. The entire amount of Rs 60,000 has been ordered to be paid to the mother of the deceased lady. The judgment was pronounced by presiding officer of the court, P N Desai.

Public prosecutor, K Shivaprasad Alva, had appeared in the court on behalf of the prosecution.