In Tamil Nadu, court sentences man who torched wife to life in jail

CHENNAI: A man who set his wife ablaze after dousing her with thinner six years ago was convicted and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life. A mahila court which sentenced the 45-year-old Jayakumar, also imposed Rs 25,000 as fine. The couple's sons aged 16 years and 10 years testified against their father and told the court that he used to abuse their mother.
"The act of Jayakumar is proven to be premeditated as he brought the thinner in a plastic can when he came home and instantaneously poured it over the deceased and lit the fire.It shows and proves the intention of the accused to commit murder of his wife. Also, the offence of cruelty is proved as he caused grievous injuries and harassed the victim from the testimonies of the sons and the mother and sister of the victim," Sessions judge Mohammed Farooq said.
Prosecution and witnesses proved that he suspected his wife of infidelity and harassed her on a regular basis.
According to the prosecution, on November 20, 2017 when Jayakumar came home for lunch, he was enraged to find lunch was not prepared by his wife as she was not well. He left in a huff after verbally harassing her.
He returned in the evening with thinner in a can and poured it on her, before setting her on fire. While he fled the scene, the victim screamed in pain and ran onto the road. She was recused by her neighbours and admitted in hospital. She succumbed to burns three days later.
It was a love marriage between Jayakumar and Anuradha and it lasted for 20 years before the incident. The couple and their children had moved to a new house only three days before the incident.