Man, family members get life term for wife's death over dowry demands in Odisha

A local court here has sentenced a man and three members of his family to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife over dowry within five months of the wedding in 2014.

Additional District Judge Prasanta Kumar Nayak awarded life sentence to Akhaya Kumar Pal, his father Laxmidhar Pal, mother Subhadra Pal and sister Priyatama Pal on Friday.

Akhaya's brother, Ajay Kumar Pal, another accused in the case, died in jail during the trial of the case.

According to the prosecution, after Akhaya of Jajpur district married Kusumalata Sahoo in June 2014, he and his family members tortured her for dowry.

In November that year, the family of the victim was informed that her body was found in a pond.

Subsequently, her brother lodged an FIR, alleging that Kusumlata was murdered by her in-laws over dowry and the five were arrested.

-PTI