‘Poverty No Excuse’: Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Murdering Wife
Image Source: India Today
New Delhi: A Delhi court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his wife by setting her on fire in 2014, stating that poverty cannot be considered a significant mitigating factor. The court emphasised that the gravity of the offence outweighed any leniency due to the convict’s financial condition.
Additional Sessions Judge Virender Kumar Kharta, in an order dated May 17, ruled that although the case involved severe aggravating factors, it did not meet the threshold of the “rarest of rare” cases that warrant the death penalty. The convict, Giriraj Kishor Bhardwaj alias Shyam Naga, was found guilty under Section 302 of the IPC.
“The objective of sentencing must balance the rights of both the convict and the victim, as well as uphold the purpose of justice. Poverty, in itself, is not a substantial mitigating circumstance,” the judge noted.
Public Prosecutor Pankaj Kumar Ranga had sought the death penalty, arguing that the crime was brutal—Bhardwaj had poured a flammable substance on his wife Kusum and set her on fire on September 24, 2014. The prosecutor highlighted the aftermath of the crime, revealing that one of the couple’s sons dropped out of school and became a drug addict, while the younger child took up work as a vegetable vendor’s assistant to support the family.
The court ultimately sentenced Bhardwaj to life imprisonment, acknowledging both the severity of the act and the trauma suffered by the victim’s family. “Though the convict is a first-time offender, the nature of the crime is heinous. The pain and suffering of Kusum’s children and family are unimaginable,” the judge remarked.
Additionally, the court directed the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to assess and provide suitable compensation to the victim’s legal heirs, recognising the psychological and emotional toll the incident had caused.
The defence had argued against the death penalty, stating that the accused came from an economically disadvantaged background and urged the court to adopt a lenient stance.
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