CHENNAI: A City Mahila Court has sentenced a 61-year-old man to life imprisonment after finding guilty for the murder of his wife by setting her afire at their residence in TP Chatram, five years ago.

The murder happened on January 20, 2017. The accused had set his wife on fire and then kicked her down the stairs.

The accused, Hari Krishnan was a drunkard and because of his alcohol addiction, he used to assault his wife, Saraswathi regularly. The couple separated over this 14 years before the incident and the woman moved to Choolaimedu with her three sons. In 2010, when the eldest son was engaged to be married, he wished for both the parents to be at his wedding.

The eldest son along with his wife moved with the father in T P Chatram, while the mother and two sons stayed in Choolaimedu. About four months before the murder, the accused had tried to make amends with all family members and requested his wife to come and stay with him and the family started staying together, the prosecution stated.

On January 20, 2017, when the sons were not at home, the accused picked up a quarrel with his wife and set her afire. She suffered 92 % burn injuries and died.

T P Chatram police arrested Hari Krishnan. Sessions judge, T H Mohammed Farooq, after perusing all submissions held that the prosecution proved their case and sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.

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