A local court has sentenced a man to 10 years rigorous imprisonment, while his mother to seven years in an abetment of suicide case.
District Judge Mridula Bhatia convicted Neeraj Mehta (35) and his mother Sunita Mehta (64) under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide) to 10 and seven years jail term, respectively.
The duo were also awarded three years rigorous imprisonment under IPC Section 498-A (domestic violence). Both the sentences will run concurrently.
Additional Public Prosecutor APP Buleshwar Hinge told the court that Neeraj was married to Neha in 2009 and had two children. He worked as area Manager with a Pizza outlet.
According to prosecution, the in-laws of the victim harassed her on several occasions and tortured her as a result of which she committed suicide on September 28, 2014, by hanging herself at their residence in Nerul in Navi Mumbai.
Taking a serious view of charge of abetment of suicide, the Judge noted, "The prosecutor has submitted that the death was admittedly unnatural and not accidental. The conduct of the accused throws grave suspicion. The accused did not immediately rush the deceased to the hospital nor did he call an ambulance."
The court said that the accused chose to walk to the family doctor and did not inform the doctor that his wife had hung herself.
"The accused being educated, should have on his own rushed her to the hospital and should have not wasted time," the Judge observed.
The prosecution has successfully proved the case beyond any reasonable doubts, and hence the accused need to be convicted for the offences they committed, the court said.
