Hooghly man gets 10 years of jail for brutal torture on wife for dowry

In a horrific case of domestic violence and dowry torture, the fast track court of Chunchura on Tuesday sentenced Sandeep Pashi to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. The convict had not only tortured his wife for dowry but also physically harmed his two small children and attempted to murder his wife and mother-in-law with a knife.

Sandeep Pashi, a resident of the Ganges Jute Mill area of Banshberia, under the jurisdiction of Mogra police station, married Jyoti Rajbhar in 2018. However, what began as a new life soon turned into a nightmare for Jyoti. Allegations surfaced that Sandeep regularly tortured Jyoti for dowry. The couple has two sons, aged three and a half and one year, who were also not spared from the abuse.

The situation escalated on May 19, 2023, when a violent outburst ended in bloodshed. In a horrifying act of rage, Sandeep stabbed Jyoti with a knife in their home. As if that wasn't enough, he turned the weapon on his own children, stabbing them in the neck and chest. When Jyoti’s mother rushed in to save her grandchildren, Sandeep stabbed her too. All four victims were rushed to Chunchura Imambara Hospital in critical condition by their neighbors.

The Mogra police immediately began investigating the case and arrested Sandeep. A case was filed under sections 498 (dowry harassment), 307 (attempt to murder), and 326 (causing grievous injury). According to government lawyer Amiya Singharai, the court examined the testimonies of ten witnesses before passing the sentence. Sandeep, currently in Hooghly jail, attended the court proceedings virtually.