A 48-year-old Uttar Pradesh man was given the life sentence by a court in Bulandshahr on Wednesday based on the testimonies of his two daughters who witnessed him and some other relatives burning their mother alive in 2016 for not having a son.
The daughters, Tanya and Latika Bansal, now 18 and 20 years old respectively, say they are relieved that a 6-year-old legal battle in court culminated in punishment for their father - Manoj Bansal.
"My mother was murdered by my father only because she did not give birth to a son. My mother raised us with so much difficulty and that man burnt her alive. For us he is just a demon. After a 6-year fight, his conviction is a relief to us . My sister and I were locked in a room and we were eyewitnesses to how our father and others burnt my mother," Latika said in a video statemen.
The victim, Anu Bansal, got married to the accused Manoj in 2000 and had two daughters. She allegedly had five forced abortions as her husband wanted a son. She was repeatedly tortured by her husband and relatives, and set on fire by the accused on June 14, 2016 and died of severe burn injuries on June 20.
Anu's mother had filed the FIR in the case. Her elder daughter, Latika, had written a letter to the then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav pleading for justice in the case. Some parts of that letter were written in her own blood.
"We did not say anything to him but he taunted us while being led away saying - you must feel nice now," Latika said when asked of the sisters were present in court during the sentencing.
