Police constable sentenced to life imprisonment

Mumbai, Dec 1 (UNI) A local court has convicted a police constable, attached with Deonar police station of Mumbai, to Life imprisonment for murdering his wife in 1993.

Yesterday, Additional Sessions Judge W K Kanbarkar found constable Uttam Murlidhar Ghuge (30) guilty under section 302 of the IPC and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 or in default he had to undergo further six months rigorous imprisonment.

Court had mainly taken the dying declaration of his wife and statements of witnesses including her parents while awarding life sentence to him. However, the court had acquitted him from other charges which included sections 498 A, 304 B and 306 of the IPC.

The victim, 20-year-old Vaishali Ghuge, in her dying declaration said that her husband had poured kerosene on her on March 6, 1993.

He is a habitual drunkard involved in gambling and was harassing her for bringing money.

She had said that she was beaten up by her husband often on her failure to meet his money demand. After the incident, she had been rushed to the Rajwadi Hospital by her husband. She received 68 per cent burn injuries and died on March 8, 1993.

She said her husband asked her to give the statement before the police that it was an accident due to stove burst.

On the basis of her statement Ghatkopar Police had registered a case against him.

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