BALASORE: In a landmark judgement, a court in Balasore district on Friday sentenced a 35-year-old man to death for brutally killing his wife in acid attack three years ago.
Judge of special court under SC and ST (PoA) Act, Balasore, Abdul Samim Akhtar convicted Chandan Rana for killing his wife Banita Singh (20) and also imposed a fine of `50,000 on him. Singh belongs to Nayapatana (Santaragadia) village under Nilagiri police limits of the district.
As per case records, after marrying Rana, Banita of Bhimpura village under Sahadevkhunta police limits came to know that her husband was already married and had two children with his first wife.
A fight broke out between the couple following which she returned to her parents’ place at Bhimpura.
On February 20, 2023, Rana went to his in-laws’ house with a bottle of acid. When his attempts to persuade Banita to return with him failed, he hurled the acid at his wife.
Apart from Banita, her sister Barsha and two others suffered critical burn injuries in the acid attack. Banita was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack where she died during treatment after six days.
On basis of the complaint of Banita’s father, Sahadevkhunta police registered a case and arrested Rana from Kolkata in West Bengal.
Additional public prosecutor Sulalita Kar said terming the incident extremely brutal and horrifying, the court convicted Rana under sections 302, 326A, 452, and 417 of the IPC based on 34 witnesses, 110 documentary evidence and 33 material exhibits. Under section 30, the court awarded death penalty to Rana. Six other accused in the case were, however, acquitted by the court.
Kar said it is perhaps the first case in the country where death penalty has been awarded in an acid attack case. The case was conducted by special public prosecutor Sanjay Kumar Mohanty, assisted by advocate Sulalita Kar from the informant’s side.
The victim’s family members hailed the historic verdict. Kartik Singh, Banita’s father, said he had faith in the judicial system and his daughter has finally received justice.