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Roshni B.. (For justice and dignity)     11 May 2011

Australian SC frees Indian wife who burnt cheater husband

Indian Woman Who Burned Her Husband Walks Free
 

Melbourne, Apr 13 :  Rajini Narayan, an Indian-origin woman, accused of burning her husband to death after first setting fire to his penis, was today given a suspended jail term by an Australian court which concluded that killing was due to "momentary anger and muddled thinking".

Supreme Court Justice John Sulan suspended 46-year-old Rajini Narayan's six-year sentence for setting her husband on fire in December 2008 after confronting him about his affair.

Justice Sulan said the killing was due to "momentary" anger and "muddled" thinking, and that Narayan was truly remorseful for her actions.

"Although it is often said that a suspended sentence is not a sentence at all, it's a real sentence and can be brought into effect if there is a failure to comply with specified conditions," he was quoted as saying by Adelaide Now.

"It is wrong to regard suspended sentences as letting an offender walk free as if he or she has not been punished. It seems (Narayan) has suffered a great deal already," he said.

Justice Margaret Nyland dubbed her actions "rare and exceptional", and therefore deserving of a "merciful approach" in sentencing. Narayan stood trial in the Supreme Court for murder last year.

Narayan denied this, saying her intention was to "circumcise and purify" her husband who had physically and verbally abused her for 22 years.

She said she wanted to "burn a dot on his penis" with petrol and an "angel candle" she had been given by a fortune teller so that he would not leave her for the other woman.

She compared her "bizarre" idea to the story of Lord Ram, who proved the purity of his wife Sita with fire after rescuing her from the demon Ravana.

"It would be like circumcision, or just like he placed that red dot on my forehead at the wedding," she said at trial. "It was like I had all the powers of the goddess to save my husband, my lord... it did not occur to me that it was going to be dangerous."

Narayan admitted losing control and throwing the flame and accelerant onto Satish when he called her a "fat b*tch".

Jurors accepted her version of events, acquitting her of murder and finding her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

In sentencing, Justice Sulan said Narayan had "deified" her husband and was "shattered" by his betrayal.

He said there was "no doubt" her thinking at the time was "unrealistic, muddled and illogical".

"For the first time in your life you had confronted your husband, had found the courage to be assertive to the person who had mistreated you for 20 years," he said.

"His response was to treat you with disdain, dismiss you and turn his back to you (and) you snapped."

Justice Sulan further ordered Narayan be under Correctional Services supervision for two years, and undertake psychological counselling as ordered.

Narayan, who sat with her back to the public gallery for much of the hearing, fought back tears as the sentence was announced.

Her eldest daughter ran to the front of the court room to embrace and kiss her mother.

Narayan, 46, is the third woman in seven years to avoid an immediate jail term for manslaughter.

In 2004, Riverland woman Gwenda Elaine Savcic received a suspended three-year term for killing her  husband,Mark.

Savcic fatally stabbed her husband with a samurai sword after silently enduring 19 years of abuse at his hands.

Justice Ted Mullighan ruled the stabbing - the first time Savcic had ever stood up to her husband - was an act of "excessive self-defence".

In 2009, Noreen Jessamine Weetra received a suspended five-year term for killing her partner, Ross Owen Calyun.

Police had been called to the couple's home 10 times in three years before Weetra struck back, stabbing Calyun in the heart in front of her children.

Justice Margaret Nyland dubbed her actions "rare and exceptional", and therefore deserving of a "merciful approach" in sentencing.

Narayan stood trial in the Supreme Court for murder last year.

Prosecutors had alleged she deliberately set her husband, Satish, alight in December 2008 after confronting him about his affair.

Narayan denied this, saying her intention was to "circumcise and purify" her husband  who had physically and verbally abused her for 22 years.

She said she wanted to "burn a dot on his penis" with petrol and an "angel candle" she had been given by a fortune teller so that he would not leave her for the other woman.

She compared her "bizarre" idea to the Hindu love story of Lord Ram, who proved the purity of his wife, Sita, with fire after rescuing her from a demon king.

"It would be like circumcision, or just like he placed that red dot on my forehead at the wedding," she said at trial.

"It was like I had all the powers of the goddess to save my husband, my lord ... it did not occur to me that it was going to be dangerous."

Narayan admitted losing control and throwing the flame and accelerant onto Satish when he called her a "fat b*tch".

Jurors accepted her version of events, acquitting her of murder and finding her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

In sentencing today, Justice Sulan said Narayan had "deified" her husband and was "shattered" by his betrayal.

He said there was "no doubt" her thinking at the time was "unrealistic, muddled and illogical".

"For the first time in your life you had confronted your husband, had found the courage to be assertive to the person who had mistreated you for 20 years," he said.

"His response was to treat you with disdain, dismiss you and turn his back to you (and) you snapped."

Justice Sulan further ordered Narayan be under Correctional Services supervision for two years, and undertake psychological counselling as ordered.

 

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:biCjlm-9fZcJ:www.indiatvnews.com/news/World/Indian_Woman_Who_Burned_Her_Husband_Walks_Free-3513.html+2011+india+husband+court&cd=18&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in&source=www.google.co.in



Learning

 8 Replies

N.K.Assumi (Advocate)     11 May 2011

Roshni B, thank you so much for this Classic verdict.

1 Like

Bhartiya No. 1 (Nationalist)     11 May 2011

This is what justice is called.

Tajobsindia (Senior Partner )     11 May 2011

Originally posted by :Bhartiya No. 1
"
This is what justice is called.
"

@ Bhartiya No. 1

Let us face the TRUTH.

Will you still stand by your above statement if a Indian Husband after caughting his Indian wife cheating on him alights her and goes scot free from court of Law ?  

Om Prakash Dhusia (HR assistant)     11 May 2011

Dear Friend, I did not see any merit on quoting a news in this column which is of a gruesome nature and I did nod find as what was the temptation for Ms. Roshni to attach that news for the readers of LCI.Is it that she wanted to show a female as victim of male chauvinism or was she in support of a revenge by a female on a male?

Where as for me it was a crime, suitably punished by a judge, no matter it were a suspended sentence but she was found guilty of offence.Are we propagating revenge or we are still in that age where EYE FOR AN EYE is the justice or are we living in Saudi Arabia, where a human is beheaded before spectators and the spectator celebrate and photograph this gruesome act and that butcher walks away with proud after wiping the sword as if he has carried out a divine act.

For me that convicted lady was able to convince the judge to her advantage.Don't make a super lady out of her and surely she was of insane mind, and divorce would have been the just solution but she was hallucinated and could make a fool out of that judge.

May good sense prevail on my countrymen.

Ameen.

Roshni B.. (For justice and dignity)     11 May 2011

@ Om Prakash jee,

 

there was no such "temptation" in me,as pointed out by you.

 

this news is a unique one.so i it posted to know others' opinions.

 

since u want to know my take on this,i believe this lady shud have sued her husband when he was alive and illtreating her,instead of tolerating his ill wrath for so many yrs.,and then suddenly killing him in a gruesome manner...

 

she was in australia;not in india.if she was really a domestic violence victim,the courts in australia wud have given her justice faster than any court in india.i dont know wot stopped her from rebelling earlier by filing a harassment case against him,when he was v.much alive and cheating her..

 

is there anything else u want to know about my beliefs?  if yes,kindly inform

 

 

 

rajshree (freelance)     11 May 2011

This woman is clearly a black spot on Indian women. What she did was not just a crime but a brutal and dirty one, and indicative of a pervert mind!


(Guest)

@Om Prakash Dhusia

"Is it that she wanted to show a female as victim of male chauvinism or was she in support of a revenge by a female on a male?"

Roshni said,

there was no such "temptation" in me,as pointed out by you.this news is a unique one.so i it posted to know others' opinions.

om prakashji roshniji just posting the family related news in this forum to inform us and nothing else.

she not only posts women side news  but also post husband side news. look the other threads by roshni hope you now clear your doubts.

Om Prakash Dhusia (HR assistant)     12 May 2011

To with all respect to dear Kushan Vyas: my idea was just to convey the message that such gruesome incident should not be exhibited in this column whatever the intention may be because killing a human being for any reason except self defence I consider to be always deplorable and Roshni's explanation was after I raised the issue.MAI SAMAJHTA HU KISI BHI APRADH KO MAHIMA MANDIT NAHI KARNA CHAHIYE AUR YEH MERA APNA VICHAR HAI JO MAINE VYAKT KIYA. Thanx with regards.


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