Fort resident gets 10-year jail term for attempting to kill estranged wife  | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: The sessions court recently sentenced a 44-year-old Fort resident to 10 years of imprisonment for attempting to kill his estranged wife with a sickle as he suspected she was having an affair.

According to the prosecution, Manoj Reshim and his wife Mansi were married but had been living separately for more year due to disputes over financial issues. Mansi moved out with their son and earned as a domestic worker. Reshim, suspecting her of having an extra marital affair, began following her everywhere. In the evening of January 29, 2020, Mansi was buying vegetables in Bohra Bazaar when Reshim attacked her with a sickle with the intention to kill her. Mansi sustained stab injuries in her hand and was taken to St George Hospital. Reshim was arrested.

At trial, the prosecution examined nine witnesses, including Mansi, who told the court that her husband harassed her during their marriage. The court observed that the prosecution had proved all circumstances with direct evidence as well as circumstantial evidence such as spot memorandum, clothes seizure memorandum, and chemical analysis reports of the blood group found on the sickle which was seized during investigation. The court said the motive was also proved, as evidence indicate that the accused hurt her with a sickle.

Additional sessions judge RD Sawant, on April 4, said the incident did not happen at the spur of the moment and that the prosecution had proved the attempt to murder was carried out with the “intention or knowledge requisite to murder her”. “The accused was knowing the consequence of the act will be the death of injured if that attack would have been successful, had the injured not restrained the attack on her by putting forward her hands and that the nature of the injury is irrelevant,” he said.

The defence sought leniency, contending that his entire family was going through a financial crisis, and added that he was already behind bars for five years for the crime as he was denied bail. Considering the plea, the court sentenced him to 10 years in prison and directed him to pay a fine of ₹5000.