Medical college dropout gets life sentence for killing wife

Munger: Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Madhepura district and a former student of a Pune-based medical college, was awarded life imprisonment by the district and sessions judge (DJ), Jamui, Sajal Mandolbar on Thursday for killing his newly-married wife carrying a three month pregnancy nine years back. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict.
The court had found the accused guilty under section 302 IPC on September 9 and had fixed Thursday for hearing on the quantum of punishment. According to DPP Ganesh Raut, Babli alias Soni Kumari, 21, daughter of Ajit Kumar Singh, a retired officer of the SBI, resident of village Kalayanpur under Jamui Town police station in Jamui district was married to Pankaj Kumar, 25, son of Rajendra Singh, resident of village Dhubkutti in Madhepura district in 2004 with fanfare. Babli was living with her husband after her marriage.
Pankaj visited his in-law's house at Jamui on June 19, 2005, along with his wife Babli to participate in the wedding function of his brother-in-law. On the night of June 25, 2005, after participating in the reception at the house of his in-laws, the couple went to sleep. On the following day, when the domestic help entered her room, she found Babli lying in a pool of blood. Pankaj was not there. He escaped undetected in the wee hours. The police, on the statement of the father of slain Babli, lodged an FIR against Pankaj.
Pankaj could not complete his studies after his alleged involvement in the crime.
As the police failed to arrest Pankaj for eight years after the crime, the trial of the case remained suspended. Pankaj was finally nabbed by the police in 2013 after the Patna high court took strong exception to inordinate delay in his arrest. The court of district judge, Jamui, in a speedy trial pronounced its judgement on Thursday. Rajesh Kumar advocate defended the accused.