Court quashes woman's appeal against life term

MUMBAI: Over six years after a 45-year-old Ghatkopar resident stabbed and set her neighbour on fire following an argument, the Bombay high court upheld a trial court order sentencing her to life for the murder. A division bench of Justice Vijaya Kapse-Tahilramani and Justice Indira Jain dismissed the appeal filed by Asha Gaikwad challenging her conviction.
The incident occurred in the middle of Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations at Trimurti Ganesh chawl in Ghatkopar on September 3, 2009. According to the police, Anita accidentally dashed into Asha, while she was on her way to see the Ganpati at her neighbour’s house. Enraged by the act, Asha first hit Anita on the head with an iron strip. As a bleeding Anita was standing holding her head, Asha brought out kerosene and poured it on her neighbour. She then set Anita afire. Anita succumbed to her injuries two days later.
A sessions court in 2011 held Asha guilty of murder and sentenced her to life imprisonment.