Maharashtra Man Accused Of Setting Wife On Fire, Killing Her Acquitted

A 33-year-old man, accused of harassing and killing his wife by setting her on fire, was acquitted by a sessions court in Maharashtra's Thane district.

Sessions judge AN Sirsikar last month held that the prosecution has failed to prove any of the charges of harassment and murder against the accused Alpesh Jogwala.

The copy of the order passed on July 20 was made available today.

According to the prosecution, Mr Jogwala, a resident of Palghar district, married the victim, Aarti, in 2015. He allegedly began harassing her soon after.

On December 21, 2015, the accused poured kerosene on his wife and set her on fire. She died while undergoing treatment at the Thane civil hospital five days later, the prosecution said.

During her stay in the hospital, the victim gave dying declarations to a member of the village vigilance committee, an executive magistrate, and a police constable, they added.

Appearing for the defence, advocate Sunil Bhatia said there was no witness to the crime and all three dying declarations were contradictory.

The judge, in his order, noted that the couple was living with Mr Jogwala's brother and his wife, but the prosecution did not examine them as witnesses.

He further observed that no evidence was produced in court to show that the accused subjected his wife to cruelty and that her death was homicidal.