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A court in Maharashtra`s Thane district sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife, whom he attacked 22 times with a hammer in front of his children, based on the testimony of his 13-year-old daughter, reported PTI.

Conviction Under IPC Sections

Principal district and sessions judge S B Agrawal found the accused, Vijay Mishra alias Samir Shaikh, guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), reported PTI.

Jail Term and Fine Imposed

The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and a three-year term to be served concurrently. It also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the murder charge and an additional Rs 10,000 for injuring his minor daughter and mother-in-law, who had tried to intervene during the fatal attack, reported PTI.

Daughter’s Testimony Key to Conviction

Additional public prosecutor Rashmi Kshirsagar informed that 11 prosecution witnesses, including the accused`s daughter, were examined during the trial.

Victim Was Living Separately After Domestic Disputes

According to the prosecution, the victim, Zarin Israr Ansari, had been living with her mother, along with her daughter and a six-year-old son, for two years following prolonged domestic violence and disputes, reported PTI.

Accused Allegedly Resented Separation

The accused, who had converted to Islam to marry Zarin 14 years prior, harboured deep resentment over her living separately and suspected her character, reported PTI.

Hammer Attack Took Place in Mumbra

On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, the accused stormed into his mother-in-law`s residence in Mumbra with a hammer concealed in a bag, cornered his wife on the mezzanine floor, dragged her down, locked the main door, and repeatedly bludgeoned her.

Court Defends Child Witness Testimony

The court defended the testimony of the victim`s 13-year-old daughter, who was an eyewitness and had sustained injuries herself, noting that minor inconsistencies do not degrade the core truth of an innocent child`s account:

“…they are not of any significant consequence since it is not expected from such a witness of 10 years of age to have a total photographic memory to be reproduced before the court. But as far as the incident is concerned, evidence of this witness is totally free from any reasonable doubt.”

Accused Allegedly Threatened Neighbours

The prosecution had also stated that the accused had locked his family inside and threatened a neighbour by brandishing a “bomb-like thing” and declaring he would blow up the building if anyone intervened.

Victim’s Brother Overpowered Accused

The victim`s brother eventually broke down the latched door, disarmed the accused, and pinned him down until the police arrived.

Post-Mortem Revealed 22 Injuries

The post-mortem report revealed that the victim had suffered 22 brutal injuries and had died due to severe head wounds.

(With inputs from PTI)