Elderly Man and Sons Sentenced to Life for Murder of Second Wife

Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, August 13 (PTI): A court in Jhansi district has issued a landmark verdict by sentencing an 80-year-old man and his two sons to life imprisonment for the murder of the octogenarian's second wife in 2014. Additional Sessions Judge Mohammad Niyaz Ahmad Ansari delivered the verdict, convicting Sudama Prasad Yadav and his sons, Padmendra and Ailan Singh Yadav, for the murder of Shiva Devi and imposing a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them.

Special Public Prosecutor Vijay Singh Kushwaha stated that Sudama Prasad Yadav, originally a resident of the Jharna Gate area, was previously married to Vishwa Devi before marrying Shiva Devi. The power of attorney for his substantial property, valued at crores, was handed over to his second wife, Shiva Devi, sparking discontent among the sons from his first marriage—Padmendra, Nihal, and Ailan Singh Yadav—who frequently argued with their stepmother over property division.

On the evening of January 4, 2014, the conflict reached a tragic climax. While Shiva Devi was engaged in selling flowers outside the Shani temple in Jharna Gate, her step-sons, Padmendra and Ailan, approached on a motorcycle and fatally shot her, according to Kushwaha.

An FIR was filed based on a complaint from Sudama Prasad, initially implicating Padmendra and Ailan as the accused. However, Sanyogita, Shiva Devi's daughter from a previous marriage, added Sudama Prasad’s name to the list of accused after she learned of the incident.

After nearly 11 years of lengthy legal proceedings, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Mohammad Niyaz Ahmad Ansari, relying on comprehensive witness testimonies and substantial evidence, found Padmendra, Ailan, and Sudama Prasad Yadav guilty of both murder and conspiracy to commit murder. On Tuesday, the court handed down a sentence of life imprisonment for each of the accused, along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)