An Indian man, Kishandas, has been sentenced to death for setting his wife, Lakshmi, on fire because of her dark skin.
The brutal attack happened on the night of June 24, 2017, but the judgment was delivered last weekend, making headlines across India.
According to the court order, Kishandas often insulted his wife since their marriage in 2016, calling her “kali,” a term used to mock dark-skinned women.
Before her death, Lakshmi told authorities that on the night of the attack, her husband returned home with a plastic bottle containing a brown liquid, claiming it was skin-lightening medicine.
“She said he rubbed the liquid on her body, and when she complained about the strong acid-like smell, he lit her on fire with an incense stick,” the report stated.
Witnesses and court findings revealed that while Lakshmi was burning, Kishandas poured the remaining liquid on her and fled the house. Her family rushed her to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries.
Judge Rahul Choudhary, who delivered the sentence, said the crime showed extreme cruelty and betrayal.
“This heart-rending brutal crime was not just against Lakshmi, but a crime against humanity,” the judge said. “He broke her trust and showed excessive cruelty in throwing the remaining liquid on her while she was burning.”
He ruled that the case fell under the “rarest of the rare” category, a legal term in India used for crimes deserving the death penalty.
Public prosecutor Vijay Singh welcomed the verdict, calling it historic.
“A young woman in her early 20s was brutally murdered,” Singh said. “She was someone’s sister, someone’s daughter; there were people who loved her. If we don’t save our daughters, then who would?”
