A Pune sessions court has sentenced a 45-year-old man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to murder his wife by allegedly feeding her capsules containing pieces of a blade under the pretext of giving her medicine.
In the October 23 order, which was made available on Monday, the court also sentenced the accused husband, identified as Somnath Sadhu Sapkal, to three years of rigorous imprisonment for cruelty, with both sentences to run concurrently. Additional Sessions Judge Aniruddha Sulabha Subhash Gandhi convicted the accused under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 498A (cruelty by husband or his relatives) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court imposed fines of ₹ 50,000 and ₹ 20,000, respectively.
During the sentencing hearing, the defence argued that Sapkal was the sole earning member of his family and that his wife was living with him and dependent on him. The court considered these submissions while deciding the punishment.
The case
The incidents reportedly occurred between October 2023 and November 8, 2023. Uttamnagar police registered a first information report on November 14, 2023. Under the final order, the accused Sapkal was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹ 50,000 under Section 307. He was also sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹ 20,000 under Section 498A.
The case arose from a complaint by Sapkal’s wife, Chhaya, who alleged that her husband had been giving her capsules containing blade pieces under the pretext of administering medicine. the court relied on the medical evidence, the recovery of blade pieces and capsules from the accused’s residence, and the testimony of other witnesses Although the complainant and her son did not fully support the prosecution during the trial. The judge observed that the court had examined the seized articles during the hearing to determine whether the blade pieces could fit inside the capsules. Both sentences will run concurrently. The court also directed that he receive the statutory set-off for the period already spent in custody.
