Domestic violence is a serious issue in our country. However, often times, the issue goes unreported as the victim may have a significant relationship with his or her attacker. The victim may refuse to report it so as to project an image of a happy family to the world. They may not want their kids to grow up in a broken household.
At the same time, even if the victim does decide to report the crime, their attacker may not receive the punishment he or she deserves. Several legal technicalities may undermine the seriousness of the crime being committed.
Most recently, the Bombay High Court commuted the sentence of a man who killed his wife by setting her on fire. The reason being,Â
“(he) only wanted to inflict burns and not kill her but unfortunately, the situation slipped out of control to a fatal extent.”
The HC noted that the guy tried to douse the fire off immediately after setting his wife ablaze. Consequently, his sentence was commuted from life imprisonment to 10 years.
“It was obvious that the accused realised his folly and was filled with remorse, therefore, he extinguished the fire and took his wife to the hospital.”
said Justice V K Tahilramani, referring back to a Supreme Court case which had made a similar judgement in the past.
I’m genuinely terrified of the kind of precedent such a ruling sets going forward. If someone with murderous intent wants their sentence commuted, they may just need to make sure they “attempt” to save the victim right after.
What do the readers feel about this ruling?
News Source: Indian Express