Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Murdering Wife

EOI, Darjeeling, December 2: The Darjeeling District and Sessions Court on Monday sentenced a man to rigorous life imprisonment after convicting him of murdering his wife.

"On April 8, 2023, the accused in the morning started shouting that his wife had hung herself. A crowd gathered to find the victim hanging. However, the villagers were not convinced and reported the matter to the Jorebunglow police station," said Public Prosecutor Pranay Rai.

Rai described the case as an example of a feeble mindset and male chauvinism. "It is sad and unfortunate that in this era we still have this kind of mindset," he said.

The accused, Chandra Prakash Rai, 51, of Thapa Dhura, Mim Tea Garden, was found guilty of murdering his wife, Nita Chettri Rai, 45, and then attempting to stage the crime as a suicide. According to the public prosecutor, family members of both the accused and the victim suspected foul play in her death.

"The accused burnt the rope from which the victim was hanging. He gave an unconvincing statement. Additionally, there was a bruise mark on the body. Unsatisfied, the victim's family lodged a complaint at the police station," Rai stated.

A post-mortem report revealed multiple injury marks on the victim's body. "The body of the victim had at least 14 injury marks. In fact, the victim had a history of being beaten by the accused, which was not reported to the authorities. The post-mortem report clearly stated that the case was homicidal in nature. The police swung into action, arrested the convict, and recovered the weapon used in the murder," added Rai.

The court examined 18 witnesses before Judge Jimut Mohan Biswas pronounced the sentence.