Chamarajanagar: The District Additional and Sessions Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of killing his wife by pouring kerosene on her and setting her ablaze, in 2017. The convict is Suresh, a resident of Mukkadahalli village in the taluk.

Details: A labourer, Suresh was addicted to liquor and used to spend his earnings on liquor resulting in frequent fights with his wife Rathnamma, who used to bring from money from her parents to take care of her family.

Rathnamma had given Rs. 300 to Suresh to get the uniform of their son from a tailor shop. But Suresh had utilised the money to buy liquor which led to a fight between them. On July 12, 2017 at about 9 pm, a fight ensued between the couple and Suresh took a can of kerosene, which was in the house, poured it on Rathnamma and set her ablaze.

As Rathnamma and her son began to scream for help, the neighbours rushed to help, managed to douse the fire and shifted Rathnamma, who had suffered from severe burns to the District Hospital and was later shifted to K.R. Hospital in Mysuru. Following doctors’ advice, Rathnamma was again shifted to CSI Mission Hospital where she breathed her last on July 18, 2017.

Chamarajanagar Rural Police, who had registered a case, submitted a charge-sheet against accused Suresh to the Court. 

Judge D. Vinay, who took up the case, heard the arguments from both sides, found Suresh guilty of committing the crime and sentenced him to life imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs. 20,000. 

Public Prosecutor Usha argued on behalf of the Government.