Bareilly: A 26-year-old woman from Bareilly who found her husband so “ugly’ that she set him on fire and killed him has been sentenced to life imprisonment four years after she committed the shocking crime.
Premshree, now 26, who was married to 25-year-old Satyaveer Singh, a resident of Bicheta in Kurh Fatehgarh, in 2017 resented her husband’s “dark complexion” and had repeatedly asked him for a divorce.
Despite their constant conflicts, Satyaveer remained steadfast in his commitment to the marriage, and the couple had a daughter in November 2018.
However, Premshree’s discontent with her husband’s appearance persisted. On April 15, 2019, as Satyaveer lay asleep, she doused him with petrol and set him on fire. Satyaveer was in hospital in critical condition for a few hours, and he succumbed to his injuries the next day.
Satyaveer’s brother, Harveer, filed an FIR under IPC Section 302 (murder), leading to Premshree’s arrest. The court’s judgment, spanning 32 pages, confirmed Satyaveer’s dying declaration to the police in which he named his wife as his murderer.
In a poignant statement recorded before the police from his bed at the Moradabad district hospital, Satyaveer said, “I took my wife to her parental house a day before, where my in-laws told me that she doesn’t like me and wants to leave me. I returned home the same night. The next morning, I was sleeping at home when my wife set me on fire.”
Satyaveer’s statement revealed the harrowing reality of his marriage. He said, “My wife never liked me since we got married because of my looks and often quarreled with me. She said my complexion was dark and that I should leave her, or else she would set me ablaze. Today, she acted on that threat…” Soon after providing this testimony, Satyaveer succumbed to his burn injuries.
In 2021, police filed a chargesheet against Premshree and during the court proceedings 10 witnesses came forward to testify against her.
In her defence, Premshree claimed she had attempted to save her husband and had suffered burn injuries in the process. However, the court scrutinized her account and highlighted a glaring inconsistency. It questioned why she had not opened the door when neighbors rushed to help, and further noted that she had no burn marks on her hands, which typically occur when someone tries to rescue another from a fire.
Outside the courtroom on Monday, where she was accompanied by her 5-year-old daughter, Premshree addressed the media and asserted that she had been framed by her in-laws due to property disputes. Previously, she had appealed to the magistrate to reduce her sentence, citing her financial struggles and her responsibility to raise their minor daughter.
Satyaveer’s father Mahendra Singh expressed his “satisfaction” at the verdict. He said, “My son has received justice. He was subjected to extreme cruelty. I am content with the court’s decision.”
Premshree, now 26, who was married to 25-year-old Satyaveer Singh, a resident of Bicheta in Kurh Fatehgarh, in 2017 resented her husband’s “dark complexion” and had repeatedly asked him for a divorce.
Despite their constant conflicts, Satyaveer remained steadfast in his commitment to the marriage, and the couple had a daughter in November 2018.
However, Premshree’s discontent with her husband’s appearance persisted. On April 15, 2019, as Satyaveer lay asleep, she doused him with petrol and set him on fire. Satyaveer was in hospital in critical condition for a few hours, and he succumbed to his injuries the next day.
Satyaveer’s brother, Harveer, filed an FIR under IPC Section 302 (murder), leading to Premshree’s arrest. The court’s judgment, spanning 32 pages, confirmed Satyaveer’s dying declaration to the police in which he named his wife as his murderer.
In a poignant statement recorded before the police from his bed at the Moradabad district hospital, Satyaveer said, “I took my wife to her parental house a day before, where my in-laws told me that she doesn’t like me and wants to leave me. I returned home the same night. The next morning, I was sleeping at home when my wife set me on fire.”
Satyaveer’s statement revealed the harrowing reality of his marriage. He said, “My wife never liked me since we got married because of my looks and often quarreled with me. She said my complexion was dark and that I should leave her, or else she would set me ablaze. Today, she acted on that threat…” Soon after providing this testimony, Satyaveer succumbed to his burn injuries.
In 2021, police filed a chargesheet against Premshree and during the court proceedings 10 witnesses came forward to testify against her.
In her defence, Premshree claimed she had attempted to save her husband and had suffered burn injuries in the process. However, the court scrutinized her account and highlighted a glaring inconsistency. It questioned why she had not opened the door when neighbors rushed to help, and further noted that she had no burn marks on her hands, which typically occur when someone tries to rescue another from a fire.
Outside the courtroom on Monday, where she was accompanied by her 5-year-old daughter, Premshree addressed the media and asserted that she had been framed by her in-laws due to property disputes. Previously, she had appealed to the magistrate to reduce her sentence, citing her financial struggles and her responsibility to raise their minor daughter.
Satyaveer’s father Mahendra Singh expressed his “satisfaction” at the verdict. He said, “My son has received justice. He was subjected to extreme cruelty. I am content with the court’s decision.”