A Maharashtra court sentenced a 71-year-old man to life imprisonment for murdering his bedridden wife, calling it a “calculated murder.” The judge said, “Mercy cannot be extended at the cost of justice” while delivering the verdict.
Thane : A court Maharashtra, has sentenced a 71-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of his bedridden wife, characterizing the act as a “deliberate and calculated killing.”
Additional Sessions Judge V. L. Bhosale found Shobhnath Rajeshwar Shukla guilty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of his wife, Sharada.
The court’s order, dated June 12, was released on Monday.
Also Read: Kolkata Court Sentenced Man to Death for Killing Wife and Daughter
Shukla received a life sentence along with a fine of Rs.50,000.
The court decided against showing leniency, emphasizing the “calculated nature of murder” and the “complete exploitation of the victim’s vulnerability,” stating that “mercy cannot be extended at the cost of justice.”
Details of the case reveal that Sharada died at her home in the Wagle Estate area of Thane on November 8, 2019. One of her sons learned of her death and, upon visiting the Civil Hospital, noticed suspicious marks on her neck that were covered with a white ointment, prompting him to file a police complaint.
The post-mortem report indicated that her death was due to asphyxia.
Additional Public Prosecutor R. P. Patil informed the court about the troubled relationship between the couple. Sharada, a widow with three sons from a previous marriage, had married Shobhnath, who was also a widower.
A dispute arose over a room constructed with funds from the sale of Sharada’s first husband’s property; she intended to transfer her share to her youngest son, while Shobhnath wanted it to go to his son, Ashok.
The prosecution noted that Sharada had become bedridden after a fall in June 2019, making her entirely reliant on Shobhnath for care. Witnesses, including Sharada’s sons, Vishal and Amol Yadav, testified about Shobhnath’s frequent complaints regarding the burden of caregiving and his threats to kill her.
Defense counsel Sandeep Yewale argued that the case could be seen as a suicide, pointing to inconsistencies in witness statements and the medical officer’s inability to definitively determine whether the death was due to hanging or strangulation.
Also Read: Supreme Court Commutes Death Sentence of Ex-Banker Convicted for Murdering His Children
However, the court concluded that the victim’s bedridden state ruled out the possibility of suicide, as self-strangulation would be anatomically impossible given her physical limitations.
In convicting the accused, the judge noted Shobhnath’s threatening remarks, the property dispute, his frustration as a caregiver, and his suspicious behavior following the incident, including an attempt to misrepresent the ligature mark as a “mangalsutra mark.”