Kataka: Nearly seven years after a man fatally assaulted his mother during a family dispute, a court in Cuttack has convicted him under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to eight years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000.
The judgment was delivered by the Court of the Second Additional Sessions Judge, Kataka, which held Prakash Pradhan (35) of Shankarpur Bant village under Choudwar police limits guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The court also directed that he would undergo an additional six months of imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on July 14, 2019, during a wedding celebration at the family’s residence. A quarrel broke out among family members, following which Prakash’s mother, Sabitri Pradhan, intervened in an attempt to pacify the situation. In a sudden outburst, Prakash allegedly struck her once on the head with an axe.
Sabitri was immediately taken to Athagarh hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Following a complaint lodged by family members, Choudwar police registered a case, carried out the investigation, arrested the accused and later filed the chargesheet before the court.
During the trial, the court found that the prosecution had established that Sabitri Pradhan died due to the axe blow inflicted by the accused. However, it also observed that the act was committed without prior intention and occurred in the course of a sudden quarrel. Taking these circumstances into account, the court convicted Prakash under Section 304 Part II of the IPC instead of the charge of murder.
The prosecution was represented by Additional Public Prosecutors A.B. Behera and Sharmila Rautray.
