Telha
The incident occurred in the Civil Lines area of Budaun on September 19, 2020. Panna Lal, aged 46, attacked his wife Anita Devi with a sickle following advice from a priest who claimed she was carrying another girl.
Budaun police rushed Anita to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where medical professionals managed to save her life. Unfortunately, the baby boy could not survive the assault. Panna Lal was arrested and charged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 313 (causing miscarriage without the woman’s consent). A charge sheet was filed in 2021.
Anita’s brother, Ravi Singh, told the media, “Anita married Panna approximately 25 years ago. She gave birth to five girls, but Panna desired a son. When my sister became pregnant for the sixth time, Panna wanted her to get an abortion since a rural priest told him that Anita was having another girl. But Anita was keen about keeping the child. He used to beat Anita all the time, but we never expected him to go that far. We’re glad he received this penalty. Unfortunately, my sister is not yet capable of leading a regular life.”
Public prosecutor Atul Singh commented, “The accused initially denied committing the crime, saying it was an accident. However, evidence produced by us in court and the wife’s statement proved sufficient to convict him.”
The court imposed the maximum punishment of life imprisonment under section 307 (attempt to murder), considering that the crime was not only against the individual victim but also against society. The court noted that the accused showed no fear of the law and imposed an additional fine of Rs 50,000 on him.
