Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 27: Additional Sessions Court in Kathua has sentenced a man to five years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to murder his wife by slitting her throat with a sharp-edged weapon in 2008.
The sentence was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge Pravin Pandoh, who convicted Harbhajan Singh, son of Sardari Lal, resident of Bakral Colony, Hiranagar, under Section 307 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
According to the prosecution, the convict, under the influence of liquor, attacked his wife on September 16, 2008, inflicting a serious injury on her neck with the intention to kill her. The victim was immediately rushed to hospital, where her statement was recorded, leading to the registration of FIR No. 129/2008 at Police Station Rajbagh.
After hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence, the court observed that the act of attacking a vital part of the body clearly established the intention and knowledge required to attract Section 307 RPC. The court emphasized that such offences reflect scant respect for the rule of law and warrant stern punishment.
While the prosecution sought maximum punishment citing the brutal nature of the crime, the defence pleaded for leniency, highlighting that the accused had faced trial for over 16 years, had no previous criminal record, belonged to a poor socio-economic background and had dependent children.
Taking into account both aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the court sentenced the convict to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000, with an additional two months’ imprisonment in default of payment of fine. The period already undergone by the convict during trial shall be set off against the sentence.
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