Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): A 7-year-old boy from Gwalior brought justice for his mother, five years after she was murdered by his father and grandmother.
His father, Rakesh Sikarwar (42), a retired army man, and his grandmother, Malti Sikarwar (70), were sentenced to life in prison for killing his mother, Anuradha.
Sikarwar and his mother Malti were found guilty of pushing Rakesh’s wife, Anuradha, off the roof of their house on July 11, 2020. The Gwalior district court also fined both of them ₹1,000 each.
According to information, the most important witness in the case was Anuradha’s 7-year-old son, Suryansh. He bravely told the court, “Papa and Dadi took Mummy to the roof and pushed her down. Mummy was screaming for help.”
Rakesh tried to mislead the police by saying that his wife had jumped from the roof on her own. He even took her to a military hospital, where she later died. But doctors found injuries on her body that showed she was attacked before falling.
Judge Vishal Akhand said in the judgment that Suryansh’s honest and clear statement, along with the medical report, proved the crime.
The judge said the crime was serious, and the guilty did not deserve any sympathy.
Public prosecutor Jagdish Shakyawar said Suryansh also told the court that his father used to beat his mother with a belt and would send him out of the room during the beatings.
Rakesh had earlier been accused of harassing Anuradha for dowry. Even after community members tried to resolve the issue, he continued his violent behavior. After retiring from the army, he returned home and carried out the murder. The police registered the case on July 17, 2020.
Court Checked the Child’s Understanding First
Before accepting Suryansh’s statement, the court checked if he could understand what it means to speak the truth. When the judge asked him if people should tell the truth or lie, Suryansh replied, “We should tell the truth.” When asked if it’s okay to lie sometimes, he said, “Jhoot nahi bolna chahiye" (lying is wrong).
Suryansh’s courage and truthfulness helped bring justice to his mother after five long years.
