HC upholds Vashi advocate’s life term for wife’s murder

NAVI MUMBAI: The Bombay high court upheld the Thane district sessions court verdict, sentencing a Vashi advocate, Yogesh Bharadwaj (39), to life for murdering his wife 12 years ago. The court passed the order on February 5, after an appeal was filed by Bharadwaj.
Bharadwaj killed his wife, Prachi, by assaulting her with a flower vase and throttling her at their Vashi flat on March 30, 2003.He dumped her body in the cupboard and told her parents on phone that she was dead.
Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, in her judgment, stated that prosecution had succeeded in proving its case against Bharadwaj beyond reasonable doubt. Bharadwaj’s plea that Prachi had committed suicide was proved false. Another plea that an intruder may have entered the house was also proven false.
The judge also upheld the sessions court order, holding him guilty for subjecting Prachi to cruelty and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000. The court said that Bharadwaj will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment for another six months, if he defaulted on the fine. All the sentences will run concurrently.