Testimonies of 10-yr-old twins help nail dad for mom’s murder

Agra: A court here has sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment, along with a penalty of Rs 50,000, for the murder of his wife in 2021. The testimony of their 10-year-old twin daughters played a crucial role in securing his conviction, the prosecution said on Thursday.The crime took place on the night of March 25, 2021, when Dharmendra Parashar, a resident of Jagdishpura area, strangled his wife, Ruchi Srivastava, 25, with a dupatta. Ruchi’s mother, Gazal, a resident of Awas Vikas Colony, lodged a complaint stating that Dharmendra often harassed her. A case was registered under section 302 (murder) of IPC and the accused was arrested on April 4, 2021. A chargesheet was filed before the court on June 1, 2021.During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence and witness testimonies, including statements from the couple’s 10-year-old twin daughters, who told the court that their father frequently assaulted their mother and, when they attempted to intervene, he would beat them as well.“On the night of the incident, around 10pm, my father sent my sister and me to the terrace and locked the room. Hearing our mother’s screams, we rushed downstairs and, through the window, saw him strangling her with a scarf before ‘covering her mouth with it’. He then called us inside, told us she was asleep, and instructed us to do the same. He then searched the cupboard, took our mother’s purse and other belongings, and left,” one of the girls told the court.ADGC Rishab Jain said, “After examining all evidence and witnesses, the court of additional sessions judge Yashwant Kumar Saroj on Wednesday sentenced Dharmendra to life imprisonment and also imposed a Rs 50,000 fine, of which Rs 40,000 will be given to the daughters, non-payment of which will lead to additional six months in prison.”The conviction was secured under Agra Police commissionerate’s “Operation Conviction” initiative, aimed at ensuring prompt justice through coordinated efforts by investigators, prosecutors, court advocates and the monitoring cell.