Pune court jails man for 7 years for feeding wife capsules filled with blade pieces

A sessions court in Pune has sentenced a 45-year-old man to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. He was accused of giving his wife capsules filled with pieces of blade, passing them off as medicine. The court found him guilty of attempting to murder her.

The order, dated October 23, became available on Monday. It also awards three years' rigorous imprisonment for cruelty to the wife. The two sentences will run concurrently, meaning the accused will serve them at the same time.

The convict has been identified as Somnath Sadhu Sapkal. He was convicted under Sections 307 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deal with attempt to murder and cruelty by a husband or his relatives. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for the first offence and Rs 20,000 for the second.

The case began with a complaint from Sapkal's wife, Chhaya. She alleged that her husband repeatedly gave her capsules containing blade pieces, saying they were medicine. According to the prosecution, the incidents took place between October 2023 and November 8 of that year.

The prosecution said Chhaya first felt pain in her stomach in October 2023. She later noticed that a piece of blade had passed out with her stool. It was stated that this happened once more. On November 8, she was taken to hospital after severe stomach pain.

During the trial, the prosecution examined seven witnesses. They included Chhaya, her son, the treating doctor, a medical shop owner, a panch witness and the investigating officer.

Chhaya and her son did not fully support the prosecution's case in court. The judge nevertheless relied on other evidence, including medical examination findings and items recovered from the accused's house.

Ganesh Chaudhari, the owner of the medical shop, told the court that Sapkal had bought a packet of Almox 500 capsules from his shop. According to the prosecution's evidence, after Sapkal's statement, investigators recovered a packet of capsules and two pieces of a steel blade from a divan at his house.

During the trial, the judge personally examined the seized items to see whether pieces of blade could fit inside the capsules. The court concluded that Sapkal gave his wife capsules containing blade pieces for about two months. It held that this amounted to attempt to murder and also to cruelty under the relevant IPC provisions.

However, the court found the evidence insufficient to prove the separate charges of assault and intentional insult. Sapkal was therefore acquitted of the charges under Sections 323 and 504 of the IPC.

At the hearing on sentence, the defence sought leniency. It argued that Sapkal is the sole earner in the family and that his wife lives with him and depends on him. The court imposed rigorous imprisonment for both offences, to run concurrently. It also directed that he be given the benefit, as per law, of the period already spent in custody.