A Kerala court on Wednesday ( October 13, 2021) sentenced Sooraj S Kumar to double life imprisonment and imposed on him a fine of five lakhs for murdering his wife by inducing a homicidal snakebite. He was also awarded 10 years and 7 years of imprisonment respectively in two other cases for causing hurt by means of poison and destroying evidence.
The Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court, presided by Additional Sessions Judge Manoj M, pronounced its judgment wherein the husband threw a live snake at his wife, causing her death.
Advocate G Mohanraj represented the prosecution, pleading for a death sentence, saying that it fell in the category of rarest of rare cases. This is the first case in the country where a man has been found guilty of murder using a snake. The police recreated the entire crime scene with a dummy snake and cracked the case.
BACKGROUND
A 25-year-old homemaker was found dead due to snake bite. Her family alleged that she was harassed for dowry and suspected some foul play. They argued that it was impossible for a snake to enter a tilled AC room.
The police conducted an investigation and a 1000-page chargesheet was filed exposing the conspiracy of her husband. The accused was consequently arrested with another man who helped him procure both the snakes. The handler later turned approver and disclosed that both the snakes were sold for Rs. 10,000 together and that he did not know the purpose behind the purchase.
The accused confessed saying that he stored the two snakes in a jar with an intention to kill his wife. Later on, his father, mother and sister were also arrested after recovering around 38 sovereigns of Uthra's gold that was found buried in a rubber estate behind their residence.
