Allahabad High Court Convicts Husband for Wife’s Murder After 43 Years
The Allahabad High Court has convicted a man for murdering his wife 43 years ago, overturning a trial court’s 1984 acquittal.
In its September 25 judgment, a Division Bench of Justice Rajiv Gupta and Justice Harvir Singh found Awadhesh Kumar and his co-accused Mata Prasad guilty of killing Kusuma Devi in 1982. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment and directed to surrender within two weeks.
The Court noted that the victim was strangled under the pretext of “driving out a ghost,” and her body was hurriedly burnt the same night. The motive was linked to the husband’s alleged illicit relationship with his younger brother’s wife.
Two prosecution witnesses confirmed the incident, stating they had seen it in torchlight. The Court said the trial court wrongly rejected their testimony on flimsy grounds, such as non-seizure of the torch by police.
Calling it a “classic case of blind faith,” the Bench condemned such superstitious practices that continue to plague rural communities. It also criticised the accused for hurriedly burning the body without informing relatives or police, terming it suspicious conduct that pointed towards guilt.
The Court concluded that the earlier acquittal suffered from “patent perversity” and ignored key evidence. Along with life imprisonment under Section 302/34 IPC, both convicts were also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment under Section 201 IPC, with fines imposed. The sentences will run concurrently.
