UP: Relying on dying declaration, court awards life to man for for killing wife | Bareilly News
BAREILLY: Relying solely on the dying declaration of a woman, Lakhimpur Kheri additional district and sessions judge Anil Kumar Rana on Friday sentenced a 38-year-old man to life imprisonment for murdering his wife seven years back.On Jan 3, 2018, Rajveer Kumar (then 31) and Reeta Devi, 28, were found with stab wounds at their house. Before succumbing to her injuries, Reeta told her brother and neighbours that her husband stabbed her. Rajveer, who initially claimed they were attacked by robbers, was arrested after being discharged from hospital.During the trial, all key witnesses, including Devi’s brother, sister-in-law and neighbours, turned hostile.Assistant district govt counsel (ADGC) Kapil Katiyar said, “Kumar and Devi got married in 2014, and they had a son. Later, Devi started living at her brother Rajiv Mishra’s house in Pasgawan due to some marital dispute. On Jan 2, 2018, Kumar came to meet Devi and stayed there for the night. The next day, Kumar fatally attacked Devi when Mishra, along with his wife and children, went out to a fair.”“In his police complaint, Mishra said his sister, in her dying statement, said she was attacked by her husband. On Jan 4, a murder FIR was registered and Kumar was arrested. The murder weapon was also recovered by police. Based on evidence collected, police filed a chargesheet against Kumar in court,” ADGC Katiyar said.Though key witnesses — Mishra, his wife and their neighbours — changed statements during the trial, the court relied on Devi’s last words and circumstantial evidence.The court cited Supreme Court’s 2003 ruling in Sucha Singh vs State of Punjab, emphasising that even if parts of testimony are unreliable, credible portions can still support a conviction. Calling it a rare case, the ADGC said the judgment highlights the legal weight a dying declaration holds, even when other witnesses retract their statements.
