OCtober 19: A court in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district has sentenced a 60-year-old woman to life imprisonment for setting her daughter-in-law on fire, leading to her death.
The verdict was delivered on Saturday by Additional Sessions Judge-III Rajendra Kumar Sinha, who also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the convict, Anita Devi. In case of default, she will undergo an additional two years of imprisonment.
According to Additional Government Pleader Ashok Kumar Rai, the victim, Kavita Devi, had recorded her statement before succumbing to her injuries. Based on her dying declaration, an FIR was registered at the Sarwan Police Station on April 23, 2022 — the day of the incident.
In her statement, Kavita Devi recounted that an argument had broken out between her and her mother-in-law earlier that day. After the altercation, she returned home, where dried straw had been stored. Soon after, Anita Devi allegedly arrived and set the straw on fire, causing Kavita’s sari to ignite. Despite her cries for help, no one came to her rescue immediately. Local residents later managed to douse the flames, but Kavita sustained severe burn injuries and later died.
Police filed the chargesheet on March 10, 2025, and the court subsequently conducted a speedy trial, culminating in Saturday’s conviction.
