Ballia, Uttar Pradesh – May 10: A local court in Ballia has sentenced six individuals, including a man and five of his family members, to life imprisonment in a tragic dowry death case that shook the Sonpur village community in 2022.
According to police officials, Sita Devi, a 25-year-old woman, was brutally set ablaze using kerosene on December 24, 2022—less than a month after her marriage to Ganesh Kumar Gupta on November 30, 2022. The incident occurred in Sonpur village and was allegedly linked to dowry demands.
Following her death, a case was registered against her husband Ganesh Kumar Gupta; his mother Mandodari Devi; sisters Champa Devi and Rekha Devi; and brother Amar Nath Gupta. The accused were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including:
- Section 302 (murder)
- Section 498A (cruelty by husband or relatives)
- Section 506 (criminal intimidation)
- Provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act
The verdict highlights the continued enforcement of strict legal action against dowry-related crimes, which remain a grave concern in several parts of India.
