Picture used for representational purpose only

MUMBAI: A 31-year-old man who poured kerosene over his wife in 2015, lit her with a matchstick, told her to die, bolted the house door from the outside and waited even as she kept screaming in horror and pain for him to come back and rescue her, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court. While the Chemburresident, Bilal Shaikh, attempted to pass the incident off as a stove blast, the dying declaration of the victim, Hayat , in which she described in detail how he had attacked her after a fight over his unemployment , nailed him.

Hayat had sustained 98% burns. The woman had said that the accused attacked her minutes after neighbours, who had intervened in the fight, had left. She said that after leaving her burning inside the house for a while, Bilal came back into the house, put a blanket to douse the fire and took her to a hospital.

The court said that the dying declaration was valid as it was given after a doctor certified that she was mentally sound. The court further pointed out that it was proved that, in accordance with the law it was given in the presence of the doctor, an independent witness, cops and also endorsed by the victim with her thumb impression. Refuting the possibility of a stove explosion, the court said, “At the spot no stove was found and the key of the room was with the accused. After taking the key from the accused, the police sub-inspector opened the door of his house.

Nothing is brought on record [to show] that the stove was removed from the spot by the prosecution witnesses.” The accused was also found guilty on charges of torturing his wife for dowry. His family members and first wife were acquitted. Unaware that the accused was already married and had adaughter, Hayat married Bilal in 2015. They was introduced to each other by the Hayat’s brother-in-law. At the time of marriage, Hayat’s family gave Bilal Rs 50,000 and a gold ring. It was alleged that he used to harass and abuse her for money. Her brother also told the court that Bilal wanted money to buy a new house. The brother also alleged that on December 22, 2015, two days before the incident, Hayat came to their house and told her family members that Bilal tortured her and asked her to bring money from her parents.

He said that Hayat also accused her sister-in-law (husband’s sister) of asking her to leave the house as she was close to Bilal’sfirst wife. The brother said that on December 24 at 7pm, he was told that his sister had suffered severe burn injuries and was in hospital. He said that when he went to the hospital, Hayat told him about how Bilal had set her afire, after which an FIR was lodged against him, his family members and his first wife.

