Chhattisgarh court hands death penalty to man for killing wife, 3 minor kids in Bilaspur

Bilaspur: A local court on Tuesday sentenced a 34-year-old man to death for killing his wife, whom he suspected of having an extramarital affair, and three minor children, including two daughters, in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district.

The tenth Additional Sessions and District Court Judge, Avinash K Tripathi, found the accused, Umend Kewat, guilty of murdering four members of his family in a case lodged in January this year.

Terming these murders as an act of extreme brutality, the judge noted they fall under the “rarest of rare” category and handed the death penalty to the man.

"The convict should be hanged by a rope around his neck until he is dead or he dies," the court said in its judgement.

It also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kewat.

After conclusion of hearing, the court had reserved the order on July 29 and pronounced it on Tuesday.

On January 1, 2024, Kewat strangled to death his wife Sukrita (32), two daughters Khushi (5), Lisa (3) and son Pawan (18 months) at their home in Hirri village under Masturi police station limits in Bilaspur district, according to the prosecution.

The man suspected his wife of having an extramarital affair and killed her and his three children in a fit of rage.