A court in Maharashtra’s Thane district has sentenced a 71-year-old man to rigorous imprisonment for life for murdering his bedridden wife, citing that it was a “deliberate and calculated killing”.
Additional sessions judge V L Bhosale convicted Shobhnath Rajeshwar Shukla of charges under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of his wife, Sharada.
The court, while refusing to show leniency towards the accused, took note of the “calculated nature of murder” and “complete exploitation of the victim’s vulnerability”, saying “mercy cannot be extended at the cost of justice.” As per the case details, the victim died at her house in the Wagle Estate area of Thane city on November 8, 2019, and one of her sons was informed about her death. At the Civil Hospital, the victim’s son observed suspicious marks on her neck, covered with a white ointment, prompting him to file a police complaint.
The post-mortem report concluded Sharada’s death was due to asphyxia.
Additional public prosecutor R P Patil informed the court about the strained relationship between the elderly couple.
Sharada, a widow with three sons from her first marriage, married Shobhnath, also a widower. There was a dispute between the couple over a room constructed with money from the sale of Sharada’s first husband’s property. She wished to transfer her share of the room to her youngest son, but Shobhnath resisted, wanting it to be transferred to his son, Ashok.
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