Vismaya case: Kerala court sentences husband to 10 yrs in jail for dowry death

He was convicted for abetting the suicide of his wife Vismaya, who according to the prosecution had been continuously tortured by Kiran in demand of more dowry. The trial court upheld the charges leveled against the only accused in the case and found him guilty of the offense. The prosecution, during the final hearing, had requested the court that the judgement should send a message to the society and be a deterrent.

Kollam:The Kollam Additional Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years in jail the husband of Vismaya, an Ayurveda medical student who hanged herself in her marital home in June last year, for dowry death. Additional District and Sessions Judge-1 Sujith KN also sentenced S Kiran Kumar to six years and two years imprisonment for the offences of abetment to suicide and dowry harassment under the IPC, Special Public Prosecutor G Mohanraj told reporters.

Accused Kiran Kumar, a former Motor Vehicle Inspector with the Government Motor Vehicle Department who was dismissed after his wife Vismaya's suicide on June 21, last year was also slapped with a fine of Rs 12.5 lakhs by the court out of which Rs 2 lakhs are to be given to Vismaya's parents.

He was convicted for abetting the suicide of his wife Vismaya, who according to the prosecution had been continuously tortured by Kiran for dowry. The trial court upheld the charges levelled against the only accused in the case and found him guilty of the offence. The prosecution, during the final hearing, had requested the court that the judgement should send a clear message to the society and act as a deterrent.

The prosecution also argued that in some cases, suicides could be considered murders and the court should not show any mercy to the accused. Kiran, who came to the court and looked indifferent throughout the hearing, reiterated that he had done nothing wrong and asked the court for a lesser punishment. He said his father and mother are aged and sick, and there was none other than him to take care of them.

Hearing the verdict live on TV, Vismaya's parents expressed happiness over the judgement but opined that the punishment was lesser than what they expected. They also thanked the investigation team and said that the judgment should be seen as a warning to those who seek dowry. An audio clip of Vismaya talking to his father over mobile, crying profusely and listing out the tortures meted out against her by her husband Kiran had come to light recently.

Her suicide created an uproar in Kerala, with many openly coming up against the evil of the dowry system and asking the victims to speak out.