A 76-year-old woman was convicted by the Thane sessions court for burning her daughter-in-law, thanks to the testimony of a 10-year-old girl who witnessed the crime. The girl, who saw her mother set on fire, was the only eyewitness to the incident, which occurred six years ago.
Sessions judge D.S. Deshmukh sentenced Jamnaben Mangaldas Mange to life imprisonment after finding that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond doubt. The court, however, acquitted the victim’s husband, Ashok Mange (40), due to lack of sufficient evidence. In addition to the life sentence, the judge imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the accused, to be paid as compensation to the young girl.
According to Additional Public Prosecutor Sandhya H. Mhatre, Daksha Mange (30), the victim, had faced ongoing harassment from her mother-in-law. Two and a half months prior to the incident, Daksha had been thrown out of the house by Jamnaben. On April 13, 2018, Daksha visited her husband’s house with her daughter to collect school admission documents. Jamnaben then attacked her daughter-in-law, which led to severe injuries.
The young girl immediately raised an alarm, and neighbors took Daksha to the hospital, but she passed away the following day.
The testimony of the girl, along with Daksha’s dying declaration, played a crucial role in securing the conviction. Seven witnesses were examined, but the girl’s clear account of the incident was the key evidence in the case.
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