A city court on Saturday convicted a 30-year-old man for harassing his 22-year-old disabled wife.
Judicial Magistrate I L.S. Sathyamurthy said in his order that A. Senthil Kumar (30) of Kuniamuthur constantly demanded money from Deepa (22) and provided no food and abandoned her.
The court sentenced Kumar to two years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 2,000.
Deepa, a deaf and dumb girl had completed class ten from the Corporation Deaf School for the Disabled in R.S. Puram. She fell in love with her uncle's son Kumar and got conceived. But Kumar refused to marry her citing her disability. Hence Deepa lodged a complaint with R.S. Puram and later Kumar married her. Since she was unable to speak and hear, Kumar provided no food and shelter to her.
He demanded dowry and harassed her. The All Women Police Station had registered a case against Kumar under Section 498 (husband subjecting her to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act.
The case came up for hearing before the court. Since the victim was unable to speak and hear, her sign language was recorded as evidence with the help of the headmistress of the Corporation Deaf School.
The sign language was interpreted in the open court and treated as evidence under Section 19 of the Indian Evidence Act 1872. The court concluded that Kumar had harassed Deepa and convicted him.
