In Brief
A man was convicted of murdering his wife by pouring kerosene on her and setting her on fire after a night of heavy drinking. The woman died from extensive burns (92% of her body). The Supreme Court upheld the conviction based primarily on the victim's dying declaration, in which she clearly named her husband as the perpetrator. The Court rejected the defence argument that such severe burns would preclude a reliable statement, holding that medical evidence of consciousness and fitness, corroborated by the magistrate, sufficed. The Court also found burn injuries to the husband and children consistent with homicide in a confined space. The appeal was dismissed and the convict remanded to custody.
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