Balasore: In a landmark judgment sending a strong message against gender-based violence, the Special Court in Balasore today convicted an accused husband and awarded death penalty for the brutal acid attack on his wife that led to her death in 2023.
The court convicted Rana under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 326A and 326B (acid attack-related offences) and other relevant provisions. Describing the crime as pre-planned, heinous, and driven by vengeance, the judge ruled that it fell within the “rarest of rare” category, warranting capital punishment.
The incident occurred on February 20, 2023. Rana, then a 32-year-old artificial jewellery hawker, threw acid on his second wife, Banita Singh, aged around 20, at her parental home in Bhimpura village of Balasore district.
The attack followed a domestic dispute. Banita had recently discovered that Rana was already married and had children from his first marriage. After confronting him over the deception, she left their home and returned to her parents’ house–where the fatal assault took place.