Mumbai: Even as a mother, an eyewitness, turned hostile in court, a Sessions Court this week convicted and sentenced her younger son to life imprisonment for murdering her older son at their home in 2018. The accused, Hemant Devrukhakar (33), was fed up with his brother, Sainath Devrukhakar (32), drinking, smoking, consuming drugs, and chewing gutka, spitting it in their home. The victim would also abuse and beat his mother.
While the mother complained to the police about the murder, in court she resiled from the statement and claimed that she was illiterate and was unaware of what the police recorded. However, relying on the evidence, which also included the prosecution's argument that the accused fled from the scene, the judge said, "…the incident occurred at 7 am is supported by the evidence, and the accused's actions on the night of April 12, 2018, and the previous argument with Sainath led to the accused intentionally killing Sainath by hitting him with a cement block on the head, resulting in his death. The prosecution has conclusively proven that the accused murdered Sainath with intent."
Public Prosecutor Ashwini Raykar examined six witnesses. In her statement to the police, the mother said that her husband died due to an illness. She had two sons and two daughters. While her daughters were married, she lived with her two unmarried sons. Sainath worked in a dairy in Kanjurmarg, and Hemant worked in a bhajan mandali. The mother said that Sainath was addicted to tobacco, gutkha, and beedi for over a decade.
"He consumes these substances day and night, both inside and outside the house. He also secretly smokes ganja and sometimes smokes beedi. My younger son, Hemant, and I cannot tolerate this behaviour. When I try to counsel him, he becomes abusive and uses foul language. He even hit me… My younger son, Hemant, also tried to persuade him, but to no avail. This leads to frequent arguments between them. Due to his addictions and lack of a job or marriage, my elder son developed mental health issues. He was undergoing treatment at Thane Mental Health Hospital from 2012 to 2018. In 2013, I tried to stop him from consuming these substances, but he became aggressive and assaulted me," the mother said.
She further said that on April 12, 2018, Hemant was at home, and Sainath returned home at 9 pm from work. "I prepared dinner, but Hemant was not feeling well due to jaundice and drank sugarcane juice. When I asked Sainath about dinner, he responded rudely and sat down in the house, chewing tobacco and spitting everywhere. Hemant got angry and told Sainath that his addictions to tobacco, gutkha, and beedi were causing problems for the family. He also scolded him for his abusive behaviour towards me…," the mother said.
She said that after dinner, she went to sleep. "On April 13, 2018, at 7 am, I woke up to the sound of a falling object and someone stepping on my foot. I saw my younger son, Hemant, standing in front of me. I asked him why he did this, and he replied that he hit my elder son, Sainath, to stop his constant quarrels. I was shocked and tried to wake up my elder son, Sainath, but he was unconscious. I saw that my younger son, Hemant, hit Sainath on the head with a heavy cement block, causing serious injuries. Blood was flowing from his mouth and nose. He was struggling to breathe. My younger son, Hemant, then left the house," she said. Sainath was rushed to the hospital, but he died.
MSID:: 114628968 413 |
Armed with a degree in political science and law, Rebecca Samerve...
Read MoreArmed with a degree in political science and law, Rebecca Samervel waltzed into journalism after a brief stint in modeling. As a reporter at The Times of India, Mumbai, she covers courts. She is a self-confessed food-a-holic. Travelling, politics and television are her passions. If you want to find her during the week the only place to look is the Bombay high court.
Read Less