UP SHOCKER! Man slits open 8-month pregnant wife's womb to check baby's gender, gets life imprisonment
Panna Lal was arrested and sentenced to jail under IPC sections 307 (attempt to kill) and 313 (causing miscarriage without the permission of the lady). A charge sheet was filed in 2021. The court observed the accused didn't have any fear of the law and slapped a cash fine of Rs 50,000 on him.
FollowA man who had cut the womb of his eight-month pregnant wife in order to determine the gender of the unborn child was given a life sentence by Additional District and Sessions Judge Saurabh Saxena's fast track court. The incident was reported in Civil Lines area of Budaun on September 19, 2020 when Panna Lal (46) attacked his wife Anita Devi with a sickle after being advised by a priest that his wife was expecting another girl child.
Budaun police brought Anita to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where medical professionals were able to save her life. However, the baby boy couldn’t survive the assault. Panna Lal was arrested and sentenced to jail under IPC sections 307 (attempt to kill) and 313 (causing miscarriage without the permission of the lady). A charge sheet was filed in 2021.
Anita's brother, Ravi Singh, told media, "Anita married Panna approximately 25 years ago. She gave birth to five girls, but Panna desired a son. When my sister became pregnant for the sixth time, Panna wanted her to get an abortion since a rural priest told him that Anita was having another girl. But Anita was keen about keeping the child. He used to beat Anita all the time, but we never expected him to go that far. We're glad he received this penalty. Unfortunately, my sister is not yet capable of leading a regular life."
The public prosecutor Atul Singh said, "The accused initially denied committing the crime, saying it was an accident. However, evidence produced by us in court and the wife’s statement proved sufficient to convict him."
The court awarded him maximum punishment (life imprisonment) for the crime committed under section 307 (attempt to murder) considering the fact the crime was not committed against the individual victim but also against the society. The court observed the accused didn't have any fear of the law and slapped a cash fine of Rs 50,000 on him.
