Punishment pronounced after son gives witness

Mysuru: The Fifth Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing his wife by strangulating her.

The man, who has been sentenced, is Nagaraju alias Naga, a native of Mahadevapura village, Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district and his deceased wife is Sunitha (25), who was residing at a shed along with her children and her father Narasimhegowda in Ramakrishnanagar here.

A native of Hampapura village in K.R. Nagar taluk, Narasimhegowda had given his daughter Sunitha’s hand in marriage to Nagaraju and 35 grams gold and Rs.35,000 cash was given as dowry at the marriage. The couple had two children.

Nagaraju, who was addicted to liquor, had sold all the gold which was given to him and used to pester Sunitha for money she was earning as a labourer besides doubting her character and torturing her.

Unable to bear the torture by her husband, Sunitha, along with her two children, had come to her parents’ house. But Nagaraju went there too and fought with his wife following which the village elders advised Nagaraju and sent Sunitha along with him.

But as the harassment continued, Sunitha came to Mysuru and began to stay in a shed along with her children and father. She  used to work as a house maid. Sunitha’s father was working as a watchman at a site in Ramakrishnanagar and was staying in the shed there.

On Dec.12, 2013, Nagaraju, who went to the shed, strangulated Sunitha with a rope and killed her. A case was registered at Kuvempunagar Police Station in this regard. The Police, after conducting investigation, had submitted a charge-sheet to the Court.

Judge G.G. Kurumatti, who heard the arguments from both the sides and after considering the witness given by Sunitha’s four-year-old son, found Nagaraju guilty of the crime and sentenced him (Nagaraju) to life imprisonment besides slapping a fine of Rs.55,000 on Nagaraju.

Public Prosecutor Ajith Kumar D. Hemmige argued for the Government.