A 28-year-old woman was sentenced to life imprisonment by District Judge, Sundargarh on Monday for pouring kerosene on her sister-in-law (brother’s wife) and setting her on fire leading to her death.
The husband and mother-in-law of the deceased also accused in the case were acquitted due to lack of evidence. The judge also imposed fine of Rs 5,000 on the accused woman and she has to undergo another six months in prison for lapses.
Deceased Padmini Behera of Kumbhal village under Bargaon police station was staying with Sashidhar, mother-in-law Ukia Behera and sister-in-law Champabati Behera. On July 7, 2014, Padmini had received severe burn injury in her in-laws’ house and had been referred to the Ispat General Hospital at Rourkelain critical condition. She had died in the IGH during her treatment. In her dying statement before police at the hospital, Padmini had declared that her sister-in-law Champabati had poured kerosene on her and had set her ablaze. Padmini’s brother Bhakti Rana had lodged FIR in Bargaon police station on July 7, 2014 evening that Padmini’s husband Sasidhar, mother-in-law Ukia and sister-in-law Champabati were torturing her for dowry and had killed her. The Bargaon police, after registering a case, had arrested Sasidhar, Ukia and Champabati under IPC Section 302 and 498(a). They had been sent to the Sundargarh Jail. District Judge, Sundargarh, Manas Ranjan Barik examined as many as 19 witnesses and found sister-in-law Champabati Behera guilty in this case.