Kerala court sentences husband to 10 years’ jail, imposes Rs 12.55 lakh fine in Vismaya dowry death case

Vismaya’s family said they would move an appeal, seeking life imprisonment for the convict, Kiran Kumar

Kollam:An additional sessions court in Kerala’s Kollam Tuesday sentenced a former state government employee to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 12.55 lakh after he was found guilty in a dowry death case.

The court on Monday had found Kiran Kumar, who was an additional vehicle inspector with the state motor vehicle department, guilty in the case of the dowry death of his wife, Vismaya V Nair, an ayurvedic medical student.

The court had found Kumar guilty under sections 304-B (dowry death), 306 (abetment to suicide) and 498-A (any wilful conduct which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court has imposed 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 304-B, six years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 lakh under Section 306, and two years of rigorous imprisonment as well as a fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 498-A. Additionally, the court imposed six years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 lakh under Section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act along with one-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 under Section 4 of the Act.

Judge K N Sujith, in his verdict, said all the sentences would run concurrently. Of the total Rs 12.55 lakh fine imposed on the convict, Rs 2 lakh has to be paid to the parents of the victim.

Vismaya’s family said they would move an appeal, seeking life imprisonment for the convict.