Rajasthan man who murdered wife after repeatedly humiliating her over skin colour and weight sentenced to death
According to the prosecution, the Udaipur man applied a chemical on his wife’s body after telling her it was ‘medicine to make her fair’, and then set her on fire. Udaipur court concluded the cruel and ‘barbaric’ nature of the crime made it a ‘rarest of rare’ case.
The Additional District and Sessions Court at Mavli in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district has sentenced a man to death for murdering his wife by setting her on fire.
The prosecution said the man, Kishan Lal, used to repeatedly humiliate his wife, Laxmi, with comments on her skin colour and weight before eventually killing her on June 24, 2017.
The court sentenced him to death on Saturday. He was also slapped with a Rs 50,000 fine and sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment.
According to the court order, on the night of the incident, Kishan Lal told Laxmi that he had brought a medicine that would make her fair. While Laxmi suspected that the substance smelled like acid, she allowed it to be applied on her body to please her husband, prosecutors said, adding that Kishan Lal then lit an incense stick and brought it close to her, causing her body to catch fire. He then poured the remaining chemical from the bottle onto her, which intensified the flames.
He then fled the scene while his parents and sister tried to extinguish the fire with water. Before succumbing to her injuries, Laxmi gave a complete statement to the magistrate regarding the incident.
Public Prosecutor Dinesh Paliwal presented 14 witnesses and the dying declaration of the victim, which the court found reliable and consistent. The judge observed that Kishan Lal’s act was not accidental but a deliberate, premeditated, and cruel crime. The court dismissed any defence of mental illness or provocation, noting that his actions were conscious and intentional.
The judgment said that Kishan Lal’s crime was not only against his wife but also against humanity. The court described the act as barbaric and ruled that the case fell within the “rarest of rare” category, leaving no scope for leniency.
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The court concluded that Kishan Lal’s betrayal of his legally wedded wife, coupled with the extreme cruelty inflicted upon her, had shaken society’s conscience. It emphasised that forgiveness was impossible and that only the death penalty could uphold public faith in the justice system.
While handing out the death penalty, the court clarified that under Sections 366 to 369 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the sentence would be effective only after confirmation by a Division Bench of the Rajasthan High Court. A reference in the prescribed format will, therefore, be sent to the High Court for approval.
Kishan Lal was convicted under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to death by hanging, along with a fine of Rs 50,000. In case of non-payment of the fine, he will undergo an additional year of rigorous imprisonment.
Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan. A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.
Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.
Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.
Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.
Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More
