Bombay High Court Upholds Life Sentence for Man Who Burnt Wife Alive

The Bombay High Court upheld the murder conviction of Ambadas Aaretta, rejecting his plea to reduce the charge to culpable homicide.

Aaretta had set his wife, Pushpa, on fire during a domestic quarrel on February 10, 2014, locked her inside their home, and prevented anyone, including their daughter, from helping.

The Court held his actions were “cruel,” and ruled he was not entitled to Exception 4 under Section 300 IPC. 

Relying on Pushpa’s dying declaration, their children’s testimony, and medical evidence, the Court found no fault in the Solapur Sessions Court’s life sentence and dismissed his appeal. (Ambadas Chandrakant Aaretta v State of Maharashtra)