Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 11 (IANS): A lower court at Kollam district on Monday held a man guilty of killing his wife by getting her bitten by a cobra.

Kollam additional sessions court judge M. Manoj declared Suraj guilty of the crime and will pronounce the sentence on Wednesday.

Suraj was the husband of 25-year-old Uthara who was bitten by a cobra.

After holding Suraj guilty, when the judge asked him if he had anything to say, he said 'nothing'.

The prosecution counsel expressed the hope that the court will deliver the maximum punishment to the guilty and consider this case as the rarest of the rare case.

Police chief Anil Kant said the case was a very difficult one and full credit has to be given the police probe team which investigated the crime using all scientific and cyber methods of investigation.

Uthara's brother said they are happy with the way things have progressed and now "we are all waiting to hear what will be the quantum of punishment."

The incident took place on May 6, 2020.

On May 7 Uthara's mother discovered her body at their house in Anchal, some 70 kms from here.

The victim's mother said Uthara and Suraj had gone to their room after dinner. On May 7, Suraj, who was a late riser, woke up early and went out. When Uthara didn't wake up, her mother went to her room and found Uthara lying unconscious.

The snake which was still in the room, was killed by Uthara's parents when they returned home from the hospital after their daughter was declared dead.

On May 24, the police arrested Suraj and his associate Suresh, a professional snake catcher for hatching a conspiracy to use a snake to kill her.

After the police began the probe, they exhumed the cobra carcass that was buried in a pit and sent the carcass for forensic examination.

The probe also revealed that Suraj had apparently made several attempts earlier using snakes to kill Uthara.

Her parents said in the first instance of a snake bite on March 2, Uthara was at her husband's home in Adoor. After recovering from the snake bite, she had shifted to her parental home in Anchal.

According to the police, Suresh had given Suraj the snakes. He first provided a poisonous viper for Rs 10,000. After the first attempt failed, Suresh supplied him a cobra for Rs 10,000.

The one-year-old son of the couple has been handed over to the parents of Uthara.