Allahabad High Court Convicts Husband 43 Years After Wife’s Murder

The Allahabad High Court has overturned a 1984 acquittal and convicted Awadhesh Kumar along with Mata Prasad for murdering his wife Kusuma Devi in 1982. 

The Division Bench sentenced both to life imprisonment under Sections 302, 34 and 201 IPC, with fines, directing them to surrender within two weeks. Two other accused had died during the pendency of appeals. 

The Court described the case as “a classic case of blind faith,” noting the victim was throttled under the pretext of “driving out a ghost” and her body set afire.

The Court found that the trial court erred in dismissing eyewitness testimony on flimsy grounds

[State v. Awadhesh Kumar & Ors.]