Kollam: Kiran Kumar, who was on Monday sentenced to 10 years' jail term  by the Additional Sessions Court here for abetting the suicide of his wife last year, requested the court to spare him from maximum punishment as he was the lone support for his elderly parents.

The former assistant motor vehicle inspector pleaded for leniency when the judge asked him if he had anything to convey.

He informed the court that his father was suffering from memory loss and that his mother would be left without a support if he was sentenced. Kiran added that his mother was a diabetic patient with high blood pressure.

Kiran's lawyers had requested the court to avoid giving him a life sentence considering his age. 

Stressing the gravity of the crime, the prosecution had argued that the suicide was almost akin to murder and demanded the maximum punishment for the convict.

Kiran's father Sadasivan Pillai said the family will challenge the verdict. 

Conviction

The court had convicted Kumar on Monday. Additional District and Sessions Judge-1 Sujith K N also convicted him for the offence of dowry related harassment under the IPC and various provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act. 

The offence of dowry death under section 304B of IPC carries a minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum of life imprisonment.

The offences of dowry harassment under Section 498A of IPC and abetment to suicide under Section 306 of IPC carry a maximum punishment of three years and 10 years jail term, respectively.

Kerala Police in its over 500-page charge sheet had said that Vismaya committed suicide due to dowry harassment.

Vismaya, 22, was found dead in the house of her husband at Sasthamkotta in Kollam district on June 21, 2021.

A day before the incident, Vismaya had sent WhatsApp messages to her relatives over the alleged harassment by Kumar over dowry, as well as photos of wounds and marks of beatings on her body.

Her father had said that 100 sovereigns of gold (one sovereign is equal to 8 grams gold) and over one acre land, besides a car worth Rs 10 lakh was given as dowry to Kumar during the wedding in 2020.

But Kumar did not like the car and wanted Rs 10 lakh in cash. As he was told it was not possible, he used to torture her, the father had said.