Thane man jailed for life for burning his wife alive
A 32-year-old man of Bhiwandi (Maharashtra), who burnt his wife alive more than five years ago, has been sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs. 11,000. The victim's side argued that the accused used to harass her for dowry, but the court noted that there was no evidence for the same except her dying declaration. The two had gotten married just five months ago.
The accused, Moharamali Shafiq Khan, married the victim, Afsana Moharamali, in mid-2012. Marital fights were frequent, additional public prosecutor Vandana Jadhav said. On December 19, 2012, after another fight, he gagged her with a cloth, tied her hands, poured kerosene on her and set her afire with a matchstick. He then locked the door from outside and left.
Neighbors heard Afsana's cries, broke open the door, poured water on her and rushed her to hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries the next day. Khan denied having set her on fire, alleging she was having an extramarital affair. But the court noted that the prosecution had proved his involvement. However, it didn't charge him under anti-dowry laws.
