Murder Accused Chemistry Professor, Who Went Viral For Arguing Own Case Using Science, Gets Life Sentence

Former chemistry professor Mamta Pathak received a life sentence, upheld by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, for her husband's murder.

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Source : ABPLIVE AI

A former chemistry professor, Mamta Pathak, who had argued her own appeal in the High Court without a lawyer, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for her husband’s murder. The decision, according to NDTV, delivered by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, has not only affirmed the district court's earlier ruling but also sparked widespread public interest due to the unusual nature of the case and the woman at its centre.

Once a chemistry professor, Pathak, was convicted in the murder of her husband, Dr Neeraj Pathak, a retired government doctor. Both of them had long-standing disputes, and in 2021, Dr Pathak died under mysterious circumstances at his residence. Initially, the police recorded the death as due to electric shock. However, the forensic and post-mortem reports raised doubts, and investigators later filed murder charges against Mamta.

According to the report, a district court, on the basis of medical reports, sentenced Mamta to life imprisonment.

Mamta, after her conviction, was granted bail to care for her mentally challenged child. She appealed during this period the order of the district court in the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. With limited legal support, she decided to represent herself in the court.

She confidently argued that the thermal burns and electric burns can appear deceptively similar, and only a proper chemical analysis could establish the difference. Her assertion stunned the court and on being asked by judge, "Are you a chemistry professor?", she replied, "Yes." The High Court then upheld her life setence. Speaking to NDTV, Government advocate Manas Mani Verma said that the court took the case seriously and even appointed senior advocate Surendra Singh as amicus curiae to ensure that Mamta Pathak received a fair hearing.

The court, after hearing a lengthy deliberation, ruled the crime to be grave in nature and directed Mamta Pathak to surrender immediately.