A man in Udaipur, India, has been sentenced to death after brutally murdering his wife by locking her in a room and setting her on fire because he thought her skin was “too dark,” according to reports from the BBC, Hindustan Times, and the Independent.
The horrific attack took place on June 24, 2017. Prosecutors said Kishandas targeted his 20-something wife, Lakshmi, after repeatedly taunting her about her complexion since their 2016 wedding.
On the night of the murder, Kishandas allegedly gave Lakshmi a liquid he claimed would “lighten her skin” and applied it to her body. When Lakshmi noticed the strong smell and asked if it was acid, he lit an incense stick and set her on fire. Before leaving, he poured the rest of the liquid over her.
Lakshmi’s desperate attempts to escape failed because she was locked in the room. Eventually, Kishandas’ family rescued her and rushed her to a hospital, but her injuries were too severe, and she later died.
Before her death, Lakshmi told police in a statement that her husband “routinely taunted her for being dark-skinned” and body-shamed her throughout their marriage.
Judge Choudhary called the act “a heart-rending brutal crime” and said it “was not just against Lakshmi but against humanity.” He added that the attack showed “excessive cruelty” and condemned the act as something that “cannot even be imagined in a healthy and civilized society.”
Public prosecutor Dinesh Paliwal, who called the verdict “historic,” said, “A young woman in her early 20s was murdered brutally. She was someone’s sister, someone’s daughter, someone who was loved. If we don’t save our daughters, then who would?”
The court’s decision came after prosecutors presented evidence from 14 witnesses and 36 documents proving Kishandas repeatedly mocked and abused Lakshmi. His defense attorney argued the death was “accidental” and claimed there wasn’t enough evidence, but the court rejected that defense.
Kishandas now has 30 days to appeal the ruling.
Demonic people