BENGALURU: A city based court has convicted a 44-year-old auto driver to undergo rigorous life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 25,000 for pouring a can full of acid on his wife and killing her, as he was afraid that her beauty would wreck his married life.
On July 14, 2017, the accused, Chennegowda, had thrown acid on Manjula at their house in Sanyasipalya in Kempegowda Nagar. He suspected her fidelity and felt that she was drawing the attention of men because of her beauty.
Unable to bear his harassment, she had even quit her job just four days before the incident. Manjula, who suffered burns on her face, hands, legs and stomach, succumbed to her injuries in Victoria Hospital burns ward two months later. Chennegowda was convicted by the 46th CCH Court. The couple had been married for around 21 years and had two children.
The accused, who had gone absconding after the incident, was arrested five days later. One of his friends had helped him procure the acid. “The victim had given her dying declaration in hospital. Her son had gone out to get milk and not seen who had thrown acid on his mother. His statements were also recorded as he was a major. The judgment was pronounced on Wednesday. The person who supplied acid to the accused has been made a witness in the case,” said KS Latha, public prosecutor, 46th CCH court. Due to frequent quarrels, Manjula had decided to leave her husband and stay separately with her children.