A husband was found dead inside his own home, and suspicion soon turned towards his wife and her boyfriend. What evidence finally led the Bahraich court to convict both and sentence them to life imprisonment?

BAHRAICH: A Bahraich court has sentenced a woman and her boyfriend to rigorous imprisonment for life for the murder of her husband, nearly five years after the crime.

Sessions Judge Rajesh Kumar Singh convicted Aashiya alias Zarina and Sonu alias Munawwar and imposed a fine of ₹20,000 each. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment.

Aashiya was the wife of the deceased Aslam, while Sonu is the son of Subhan Ali. Both convicts are residents of Sasapara village under Dargah Sharif Police Station in Bahraich.

The case dates back to the night of April 28–29, 2021. According to the prosecution, Aslam was sleeping at home that night. The following morning, he was found dead.

Aslam’s father suspected the involvement of his daughter-in-law, Aashiya, and alleged that she had killed his son in collusion with Sonu. Acting on his complaint, the police registered a murder case and started an investigation.

The case was registered at Dargah Sharif Police Station as Case Crime No. 169/2021 under Section 302 IPC, which dealt with punishment for murder under the law applicable at the time of the offence.

The investigation was conducted by then Inspector Amit Kumar Tiwari. During the investigation, police collected evidence and recorded witness statements before proceeding against both accused.

After completing the investigation, police filed a charge sheet against Aashiya and Sonu on June 11, 2021.

The court subsequently framed charges against both accused on July 12, 2021, paving the way for their trial.

The prosecution later pursued the case under “Operation Conviction”, an initiative focused on effective prosecution and securing convictions in identified criminal cases.

The matter was pursued under the supervision of Bahraich Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Srivastava, with coordination between Dargah Sharif Police, the Monitoring Cell and the prosecution.

Prosecutor Girish Chandra Shukla, Court Moharrir Constable Sandeep Maurya and pairvi constable Mahendra Sonkar were also involved in pursuing the prosecution case before the court.

After considering the case, the court found the wife and her boyfriend guilty of Aslam’s murder.

The court sentenced both to rigorous imprisonment for life and directed them to pay a fine of ₹20,000 each. In default of payment, each convict will have to undergo another six months of simple imprisonment.

EXPLANATORY TABLE OF LAWS AND SECTIONS

CASE DETAILS

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• A husband was murdered inside his own home — the court convicted his wife and her associate for the crime.
• Both convicts received rigorous life imprisonment along with a ₹20,000 fine each for Aslam’s murder.
• Aslam’s father raised suspicion against his daughter-in-law, setting in motion the investigation that ultimately resulted in conviction.
• The crime happened in 2021, but justice took years — Aslam’s family lived with the loss while the criminal case continued.
• Men can be victims of extreme domestic violence too. A husband should not automatically be viewed as the aggressor; male victims deserve equal recognition and justice.