The court observed that every tenth murder appeal coming up before it had the husband as the convicted accused

The Delhi High Court on Monday expressed serious concern over matrimonial houses turning into places of crimes against women, while observing that every tenth murder appeal coming up before it had the husband as the convicted accused. The victim, invariably, is the wife and the place of crime is the matrimonial house.

Upholding the life sentence awarded to a man for murdering his wife at their Nangloi house here three years ago, a Division Bench of the High Court observed: “It appears that the married women in India are safer on the streets than in their matrimonial homes.”

The Bench, comprising Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Mukta Gupta, dismissed an appeal filed by Pradeep, who was convicted by the trial court for murdering his wife Santoshi.

The Court said the general principle of law was that when a woman was murdered in her matrimonial house and the husband’s presence was established, there was an obligation on the husband to explain how his wife had died. If he does not do so, an adverse inference can be drawn against the husband of being the assailant.

Pradeep had contended in his appeal that he was falsely implicated in the case and he was not present at the spot when his wife was killed. According to the police, the convict fled the spot when the incident was reported on May 15, 2011, and was arrested the next day.

The trial court convicted Pradeep by relying on the statements of his co-brother Mahender and his relative Sangeeta, who had testified that the convict was present in the house when the crime was committed.

Santoshi was the mother of three children, all daughters. The High Court concurred with the trial court’s view that the prosecution had established its case against Pradeep having hit his wife on the head with the scraper. The powerful blows had fractured Sangeeta’s skull, leading to her death.