VISMAYA CASE: HUSBAND GETS 10 YEAR JAIL

An additional sessions court in Kerala on Tuesday sentenced S. Kiran to 10 years imprisonment in connection with the death of his wife Vismaya, 24, on the charges of dowry harassment and abetment of suicide.

Additional sessions court judge K.N. Sujith sentenced Kiran Kumar, 31, a former assistant motor vehicles inspector to 10 years rigorous imprisonment under the Dowry Prohibition Act. Though Krian Kumar was also sentenced under two different sections for six and two years respectively, the sentence will run concurrently.

The convict has been directed to pay a fine of `12.55 lakh to the court of which `2 lakh will be paid to Vismaya’s parents.

The court had on Monday convicted Kiran Kumar, husband of Vismaya, an ayurveda medical student who hanged herself in her maternal home in Kollam district in June 2021 following dowry harassment.

He was sentenced to 25 years in prison under various sections. Since the sentence runs concurrently, he has to spend 10 years in jail.

Kiran said that Vismaya’s death was a suicide and demanded that the punishment be commuted. Kiran told the court that he had not committed any crime, was innocent, his father was unwell and he was in charge of the family. However, the prosecution argued that there should be no sympathy for the accused. There is a rule that a government official cannot take dowry.

The prosecution argued that society cannot approve of the wrongdoings of Kiran. Vismaya’s father Thrivikraman Nair was present in the court to hear the verdict.

The court had on Monday found Kiran guilty in the case.