Man gets life term based on dying declaration

A sessions court in the Karkardooma Courts Complex sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing his sister-in-law by setting her ablaze.

A sessions court in the Karkardooma Courts Complex sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing his sister-in-law by setting her ablaze. The court convicted the man on the basis of the victims dying declaration.

Additional Sessions Judge Surinder Kumar Sharma sentenced Northeast Delhi resident Gopal Chand,holding him guilty of burning alive his sister-in-law Sangeeta. It was accused Gopal Chand who poured kerosene oil on Sangeeta and set her on fire. She sustained 90 per cent burn injuries,which later resulted in her death, the judge said.

Sangeeta was rushed to a hospital with burn injuries on September 28,2010. In her statement,recorded by the Sub Divisional Magistrate,she said she was married to Gopal Chands brother Kishan nine years ago and was his second wife.

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Sangeeta said she and her husband Kishan had shifted to his older brother Gopal Chands house four years ago,and for the past one year he had been pressurising them to leave the house. On the day of the incident,she said Chand returned home from work and started abusing her. Before she could defend herself he threw kerosene oil on her and set her ablaze. Sangeeta succumbed to injuries on October 6.

The court treated the statements made by Sangeeta before her death as a valid declaration since they were reliable and made voluntarily. It rejected Chands contention that the victims dying declaration could not be accepted as no certificate was given by the doctor declaring her fit to make the statement.

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