Man Who Killed His Mother For Preparing Undercooked Potatoes For Dinner Gets Reduced Sentence

A man who allegedly killed his mother for preparing undercooked potatoes in Mumbai, India in 2011 got his sentence reduced after his conviction was changed to culpable homicide by the Bombay High Court.

In March 2011, the accused Naresh Pawar, and his mother Ekabai, who worked in a brick kiln in Kalyan, Mumbai, India were at home since it was the Holi festival. Holi, the festival of colors, is a popular Hindu festival that is celebrated by Indians all over the world.

However, when Ekabai served Pawar brinjal and potatoes for dinner, the son noticed that the potatoes were undercooked. Pawar had also already eaten brinjal earlier in the day. Enraged over the undercooked potatoes and the lack of variety in the dishes, Pawar questioned his mother about why she had not cooked fish for dinner. In a fit of rage, Pawar then allegedly picked up an iron rod and whacked the victim in the back with the instrument, Hindustan Times reported.

Upon hearing the victim's screams for help, the son of the kiln owner rushed to the spot along with his friend. However, when they checked on the mother, they realized that she was already dead.

During the trial, the court at Kalyan found Pawar guilty of murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Pawar spent nine years in jail time after which he lodged an appeal to alter the conviction to culpable homicide, Times Now reported.

Following this, Advocate Sushil Inamdar informed the division bench of justice that the conviction should have been for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as the convict hit his mother in a fit of rage and that he had neither planned it nor did he intend to murder her. However, additional public prosecutor J H Dedhia opposed the appeal and stated that the appeal should be dismissed.

Meanwhile, the division bench of justice noted that as the assault and medical reports were not disputed in the appeal, it was upholding the argument of the appellant. The bench also observed that the nine years Pawar had spent in jail would be considered his conviction.

“The appeal is partly allowed. The conviction recorded against the appellant is hereby set aside and the conviction of the Appellant-Accused is altered under Section 304 (II) of IPC for the period which the Appellant-Accused has undergone the sentence in the prison,” the Bombay High Court bench observed.