Five members of family get life term

A Delhi court has sentenced five members of a family to life imprisonment for killing their aunt by setting her ablaze, suspecting that she practised witchcraft.

An additional sessions judge sentenced the five expressing “shock” that people believed in superstitions in today’s scientific age.

“It is not only shocking but also pitiable that citizens of the country who are living in the capital are still ignorant, superstitious and backward in thinking as they were hundreds of years ago,” said the judge.

In the case in hand, convicts Pammi, Pintu, Suresh, Raju and their sister Santosh Kumari, all residents of Sultan Puri in north west Delhi, blamed Kamla and her sister Shanti for practising witchcraft that resulted in death of their mother and that of Pammi’s wife.

On July 20, 2007, they set them on fire leading to Kamla’s death and causing severe burns to Shanti. While pronouncing the sentence, the court expressed shock that even residents of Capital were gripped in superstitions.

“One keeps hearing a woman in the remote area of Bihar, UP or MP is killed by the villagers under a belief that she is a churail (witch) but similar beliefs being prevalent in the urban society shocks the conscience,” the court said.

“The court, however, refused to award capital punishment to the convicts saying the crime was committed due to “ignorance and backwardness.”

Accused surrenders

One of the absconding accused, who had escaped from police custody, in the 2010 Mirchpur Dalit killings case has surrendered before a Delhi court.

Jasbir, who fled on May 24 last year when he was being brought to Rohini court along with other accused for a hearing, surrendered before additional sessions judge Kamini Lau, who had decided the case last year.

The court had declared Jasbir a proclaimed offender. The judge has now called the investigating officer on the case to identify the accused.

“The investigating officer is directed to appear in person to identify the accused on September 3 and the applicant (Jasbir) is sent to judicial custody till then,” the judge said.
“Information must be sent to Prashant Vihar police station where the accused is required in another case,” said the judge.