Man Sentenced To Death For Burning Wife Alive Over Skin Colour
A court in India has sentenced a man, Kishandas, to death for setting his wife, Lakshmi, ablaze because of her dark skin colour.
The incident occurred on 24 June 2017, a year after their marriage, when Kishandas mocked her appearance and poured a corrosive liquid on her body before setting her on fire with an incense stick. He later poured the remaining liquid on her while she burned and fled.
Lakshmi, who was in her early 20s, was rushed to hospital but later died from her injuries. Before her death, she revealed that her husband constantly insulted her for being dark-skinned, calling her “kali” and body-shaming her since their marriage in 2016.
As reported by the BBC on Wednesday, the attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, and the judgment, delivered at the weekend, has made headlines in a country where public obsession with colourism is well documented.
On the night of the attack, Kishandas brought a plastic bottle containing a brown liquid, purportedly a skin-lightening medicine.
According to Lakshmi’s statements, he applied the liquid on her body, and when she complained about a strong acid-like smell, he set her on fire with an incense stick.
Adding to the cruelty, Kishandas poured the remaining liquid on her while she was burning and then fled. Her family rushed her to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rahul Choudhary condemned the act as not only a murder but “a crime against humanity,” stressing that Kishandas “broke her trust” and showed “excessive cruelty in throwing the remaining liquid on her” while she burned.
He described the case as fitting the “rarest of the rare” category, saying, “It will not be an exaggeration to say that this heart-rending brutal crime was not just against Lakshmi, but it’s a crime against humanity.”
He added, “It’s a crime that shocks the conscience of humanity, which cannot even be imagined in a healthy and civilised society.”
The public prosecutor called the verdict “historic,” hoping it would serve as “a lesson for others in society.”
He said, “A young woman in her early 20s was brutally murdered. She was someone’s sister, someone’s daughter; there were people who loved her. If we don’t save our daughters, then who would?”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
