21 February,2016 05:28 PM IST | | PTI
A couple from the tribal Jawhar taluka of neighbouring Palghar district has been awarded life imprisonment by a local court for murdering a close relative
Thane: A couple from the tribal Jawhar taluka of neighbouring Palghar district has been awarded life imprisonment by a local court for murdering a close relative.
Additional Sessions Judge Mridula V K Bhatia awarded the life sentence to Ganesh Bacchu Valavi (34) and his wife Sakhubai Ganesh Valavi (31), both labourers, for murdering Ganesh's step-brother Rajaram Mavji Bambre. They were pronounced guilty under IPC section 302 (murder) read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
Additional Public Prosecutor Buleshwar Hinge told the court that the deceased, Rajaram, was the son of complainant Mavji Mharya Bambre (60) from his first wife. However, after she died, Mavji married Temibai, who came with her son - Ganesh Valavi - from her first husband.
The two step-brothers -- Ganesh and Rajaram -- had a dispute over property.
On May 13, 2013, Mavji received a message from home and when he reached there, Rajaram's wife told him that the accused abducted her husband, took him to a hillock nearby and stoned him to death over the property dispute.
Based on circumstantial evidence and deposition of the witnesses, the judge recently held Ganesh and his wife guilty of the offence and sentenced them to life imprisonment, apart from imposing Rs 1,000 fine on them.
In her order, the judge also directed the district legal services authority to provide compensation to the widow under section 357(A) of CrPC.
