'Snakebite' murder: UP court cites Manusmriti verse while pronouncing death sentence

MEERUT: A local court in Meerut on Friday sentenced a woman and her lover to death for murdering her husband and attempting to pass it off as a snakebite death, citing the Manusmriti and its assertion that "fear of punishment keeps society under control".The court also invoked the mythological figure Savitri, who bargained with Yama to save her husband's life, observing that a wife is considered her husband's better half, government counsel Farzana Maqsood said.Additional district and sessions judge Jaiveer Singh Nagar opened the 131-page judgment with a verse from the Manusmriti on a ruler's duties and the importance of maintaining order in society.Explaining the original verse, the judgment stated: "Fear of punishment keeps society under control. Without punishment, the wicked would prey upon the righteous."The judgment further said that unrighteousness would never triumph over the righteous, referring to the Manusmriti.The court classified the case as "rarest of rare" and sentenced Ravita and Amardeep to death for murdering Amit Kashyap and destroying evidence. The two were convicted on October 7.The prosecution sought the maximum punishment, citing the gravity and brutality of the crime. Government counsel Farzana Maqsood and the victim's lawyer Balraj Singh presented arguments on behalf of the prosecution, also referring to previous Supreme Court and high court judgments.According to police, Amit was found dead on a cot at his home in Akbarpur Sadat village, in Meerut's Bahsuma area, on April 13, 2025. A live snake was found beside his body, prompting his family to initially suspect a snakebite.However, the postmortem revealed injury marks on his neck and nose, suggesting that he had died by strangulation, police said.Amit's brother, Monu, filed an FIR against Ravita and Amardeep on April 16, 2025.The prosecution said Ravita and Amardeep were in a relationship and that Amit had learnt about it, leading to frequent disputes between the couple. The two allegedly strangled him and placed a live snake beside his body to make the murder appear to be a snakebite death.Before the sentencing, Ravita sought leniency, citing her three young children, while Amardeep pointed to his elderly parents.Amit's mother, Munesh Devi, welcomed the verdict, saying the family had sought the death penalty from the beginning and had received justice.The sentence comes two days after another court in Meerut sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla to death for murdering Muskan's husband, Saurabh Rajput, and concealing his dismembered body in a blue drum.(With inputs from PTI)You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Meerut | Silver Rate in Meerut | Bank Holidays in Meerut | Public Holidays in Meerut | Meerut AQI | Weather in Meerut | Petrol Price in Meerut | Diesel Price in Meerut | CNG Price in Meerut | LPG Price in MeerutStay updated with the latest Meerut news. Download the TOI App.