Man sentenced to life for burning wife to death in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills

A sessions court in Jowai has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his wife by setting her on fire, bringing to a close a case that dates back nearly two decades.

The court found Stam Surong, a resident of Mukhla Nongrim village in West Jaintia Hills, guilty of killing his wife by pouring kerosene on her and setting her alight inside their home in the early hours of September 8, 2006. The crime occurred around 5 am.

According to the prosecution, the victim survived long enough to narrate the incident to her family members, a statement that became a crucial piece of evidence during the trial. A first information report was lodged at Ummulong Beat House, following which Jowai police registered a murder case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

After the investigation, the police filed a charge sheet, and the matter proceeded to trial. The court, after examining the evidence and testimonies, held the accused guilty of murder.

Along with life imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the convict.