The Calcutta High Court has upheld the life imprisonment of a man convicted of murdering his pregnant wife in 2014, observing that the act resulted in the loss of two lives. Dismissing the convict’s appeal, a division bench held that the trial court’s conviction and sentence were justified, describing the accused as a “cold-blooded killer” whose brutal assault led to the death of his wife and her unborn child.
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising Justice Rajasekhar Mantha and Justice Rai Chattopadhyay refused to interfere with the conviction of Ram Chandra Pramanik, who had been found guilty by a sessions court in Howrah for the murder of his wife, Sampa Pramanik.
The incident dates back to January 21, 2014, when Sampa Pramanik, who had been married to the accused for about ten years, was attacked inside their home. According to the findings of the court, the victim was repeatedly struck with a blunt weapon and later strangled, resulting in her death.
During the hearing of the appeal, the High Court noted that the victim was approximately 18 weeks pregnant at the time of the incident. The bench observed that it must be presumed that the husband was aware of her pregnancy when the assault took place.
Rejecting the defence argument linked to the post-mortem findings, the court addressed the fact that traces of alcohol were detected in the victim’s viscera. The judges stated that even if the victim had consumed alcohol and might have been slightly inebriated, it could not serve as any justification for the violent assault carried out by the appellant.
“The appellant, therefore, has taken two lives. He had been reckless and inhuman,” the bench observed in its judgment delivered on Thursday.
The High Court further noted that the nature of the injuries and the manner of assault suggested that the attack lasted for a considerable period. According to the court’s assessment, the violence inflicted on the victim continued for at least 20 to 30 minutes before her death.
Calling the accused a “cold-blooded killer,” the bench concluded that there was no reason to disturb the findings of the trial court.
Ram Chandra Pramanik had earlier been convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder. In March 2017, the Additional Sessions Judge, 2nd Court, Howrah, sentenced him to life imprisonment. The High Court has now affirmed that conviction and sentence, bringing the appeal to a close.
