Pune court jails man for 7 years for feeding wife blade pieces in capsules sold as calcium pills

A court in Pune has sentenced a man to seven years' rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 70,000 for feeding his wife pieces of blade packed in capsules, telling her they were calcium tablets.

The convict is Somnath Sadhu Sapkal, 45, who lived in Shivane in the Uttamnagar area of Pune. He was accused of doubting his wife's character and harassing her mentally and physically on that count.

In October 2023, the woman suddenly developed severe stomach pain. At first, nobody could work out the cause. A few days later, pieces of blade passed out through her bowel, and the whole matter came to light. The incident caused alarm in the area.

As the pain worsened, the woman was admitted to hospital on November 11. Doctors carried out the necessary medical tests, including a sonography, and found a piece of blade lodged in her stomach. Her life was in serious danger, so doctors operated immediately and removed the piece.

The husband was accused of feeding his wife pieces of blade filled in capsules, calling them calcium tablets. Uttamnagar police had registered a case of attempt to murder against Sapkal.

The case took a major turn during the trial. The woman and her son changed their statements in court. Both are reported to have dismissed the charges against the accused, saying the couple's quarrel had been resolved.

The prosecution nonetheless stressed the medical evidence and the doctors' testimony. Public prosecutor Adv. Pathak had seven witnesses examined. The doctors testified that a piece of blade could have injured the food pipe or the intestine and caused internal bleeding, which could have killed the woman.

Considering the medical and scientific evidence, the court did not treat the woman's changed statement as decisive. Greater weight was therefore given to the evidence available to prove the charges against the accused.

The defence argued that the accused is the sole earning member of the family and that his wife and son depend on him. This was placed before the court. However, considering the gravity of the case, the danger to the woman's life and the medical evidence, the Additional Sessions Judge of the Pune court sentenced the accused to seven years' rigorous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 70,000.

The verdict again made clear that in serious offences, even if the victim or witnesses change their statements, a court can decide on the basis of solid medical and scientific evidence.