Man who killed wife with 'Cobra' bite gets double life sentence

India: A sessions court in Kerala has sentenced a husband to life imprisonment for killing his wife using a cobra snake. The court had on October 11 convicted Sooraj S Kumar of murder, poisoning, destruction of evidence and attempt to murder his 25-year-old wife with a cobra bite.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) G Mohanraj told reporters outside the court that Additional Sessions Judge Manoj M said the case was rarest of all, but given the age of the convict (now 28 years), he should be sentenced to life imprisonment instead of death. The Prosecutor also said that the court sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment for the offence of an attempt to murder, 10 years for poisoning and seven years for destruction of evidence. He also said that the court has specifically directed that the convict will be given a total jail term of 17 years for first poisoning and destruction of evidence. After that, his life sentence will start.

Public Prosecutor AK Manoj also affirmed the order and said that the court has stated that the two life sentences given to Kumar will go concurrently.

The lawyer said that the court has also imposed a total fine of Rs 5.85 lakh on the guilty. He said that the court has cited the lack of criminal history of the convict as another reason for not awarding the death sentence.

Following the sentencing, the victim's mother said to a news channel that she was not convinced with the verdict as she presumed the convict to be given the death sentence. Sooraj had killed his wife Uthra in May last year by biting her with a cobra while she was sleeping.

The 25-year-old housewife was found dead at her home in May last year.

Her family became peculiar because Uthra had been attacked by a Russell viper a few weeks earlier. She was recovering from the first snake bite when she was attacked by the cobra.

Police said their investigation indicated that Sooraj was behind the two attempts. They also captured a man who had accommodated him procure the snakes - he then became an "approver" and helped the police put the case back together.

According to LiveLaw, an Indian legal website, the police charges spanned 1,000 pages and detailed the extensive conspiracy designed and executed by Sooraj.