Vishnu Bungary has been sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for the manslaughter of Marie Christiane Moussa after having pled guilty to the crime committed in 2012. The sentencing was delivered on 15th October 2021.
The victim, aged 46 at the time of the offence, was living separately from her husband and was in a relationship with Vishnu. However, issues started to arise in this relationship as the victim was seeing another man and demanding money from the accused.
Even though he has pleaded guilty, it should be highlighted that Vishnu had initially denied the offence. As per the accounts contained in his unsworn affidavit, he supposedly met the victim at her house on that day before allegedly leaving the house for some 30 minutes. He claimed that he found the dead body of the victim and a hammer once he came back. The accused then contended that he handled the hammer before placing it back to its original position.
Due to the unbearable loss of his love, Vishnu then attempted to take his own life by consuming a toxic insecticide and was afterwards taken to the hospital where he was admitted to intensive care.
However, evidences adduced in the case suggested a different version. As a matter of fact, whilst being taken to the hospital, the accused has confessed to his nephew that he had killed someone and the latter reported this matter to the police.
In light of these evidences, the accused admitted in the dock that, on the day of the crime, he had seen a man coming from the victim’s house and this caused an argument between him and the victim. Vishnu could not remember exactly the circumstances that led him to deal blows to the victim but stated that he regretted his act and had intended to put an end to his life upon realising what he had done.
To recall, the victim died of craniocerebral injuries caused by the blows from the hammer, which the judge qualified as “ an atrocious, brutal and callous one committed upon a defenceless woman”.
Upon considering all facts, evidences, and that Vishnu is the carer of his handicapped wife, the Supreme Court has then sentenced the accused to a penal servitude of 30 years and noted “with serious concern that lately, cases of violence against women have taken an increasing trend.”
