KOLLAM: S Kiran Kumar, 31, convicted in the sensational Vismaya case for abetting his wife to suicide by harassing her over dowry, was on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined Rs 12.55 lakh. Vismaya’s mother Sajitha said she will appeal the verdict in a higher court.
Pronouncing the quantum of sentence, Kollam Additional Sessions Court Judge Sujith K N sentenced Kiran to 10 years in jail for the offence under IPC sections 304(B) (dowry death), six years and Rs 2 lakh fine under 306 (abetment to suicide) and two years and Rs 50,000 fine under 498A (dowry harassment). Kiran was awarded six years’ jail term and Rs 10 lakh fine under Dowry Prohibition Act Section 3 and one-year jail term and Rs 5,000 under Section 4.
Convict requests court to consider his age
The sentence will run concurrently, which means he will have to spend only 10 years in jail. Of the total fine amount, Rs 2 lakh has to be shared with Vismaya’s parents as compensation. “Fully satisfied with the court verdict as he has been awarded the maximum punishment under all charges,” said Special Public Prosecutor G Mohanraj. Kiran requested the court to consider his age and parents’ old age as they don’t have anybody else to look after them. “My father is suffering from memory loss and he can’t take care of himself. I’m innocent in this case and have done nothing wrong. Vismaya died by suicide,” Kiran told the court.
The prosecution, however, said the verdict should not be against an individual instead it should be a strong message to society. This should be used as a referral for others in future, said Mohanraj.“The convict is not a common man. He was a government employee. One who was bound to implement the law was the one who broke it. Hence, this suicide case should be considered equivalent to murder,” he added.Lawyer Prathapachandran Pillai, who appeared for Kiran, requested the court not to give him life term. Neither does he have any criminal background nor did he create any issues while he was in jail, he said. Highlighting similar cases from other states, Pillai said the maximum punishment pronounced by the Supreme Court in similar cases including a case in UP where a police officer murdered his wife is 10 years imprisonment.
Vismaya, a 24-year-old BAMS student, was found hanging in the bathroom of her husband’s house in Sasthamcotta on June 21 under mysterious circumstances after she had complained of dowry harassment. Kiran, who was an assistant motor vehicle inspector attached to the MVD in Kollam, is the only accused in the case. Following Kiran’s arrest, the department dismissed him from service.