Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has upheld the life imprisonment awarded to a woman for killing her husband by strangling him with a nylon rope.
Confirming her conviction under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a Division Bench comprising Justice K Lakshman and Justice K Sujana rejected the appeal filed by Agurla Laxmi alias Gouri.
As per the prosecution, Laxmi killed her husband, Komuraiah, on January 18, 2016, while he was sleeping.
In order to commit the crime, she allegedly used a nylon rope to strangle him. The crime took place after frequent disputes and harassment.
After committing the crime, the woman reportedly informed relatives and neighbours that her husband had died due to excessive alcohol consumption.
The crime came to light after a mark on his neck was noticed when the body was being bathed the following morning. During questioning, she allegedly admitted to the crime.
Medical evidence supported prosecution’s case
While hearing the case, the High Court found that the medical evidence supported the prosecution’s side.
The ligature mark on the neck and a fractured hyoid bone indicated that Komuraiah had died due to strangulation.
Apart from medical evidence, the Bench also considered statements given by relatives and neighbours, Laxmi’s alleged confession, and the recovery of the nylon rope used in the crime.
It observed that her guilt was established beyond reasonable doubt by the chain of evidence presented by the prosecution.
For hiding the crime, the court upheld her conviction under Section 201 IPC.
Earlier, the trial court had sentenced Laxmi to life imprisonment under Section 302 IPC and five years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 201 IPC.
