Umesh Bobale, a dentist, was sentenced to life in jail by the Mumbai Sessions Court for brutally assaulting his wife in December 2016 in front of their little son, 5, and leaving her with 34 wounds.
The prosecution’s case contends that on the weekends, Bobale used to pay a visit to his estranged wife at her mother’s home in Dadar. They saw a movie on December 10, 2016, but soon after getting home, they started fighting. His wife even made a suicide threat while demanding maintenance in their current divorce proceedings.
Bobale asserted that he never planned to commit the murder and that it was the result of an abrupt and intense provocation. He did, however, phone the police and turn himself in after slicing his estranged wife Tanuja’s neck with a kitchen knife in front of their son.
Who is Umesh Bobale
Now 48, Umesh Bobale was then 42-year-old with a flourishing practice as a dentist. He got married to Tanuja Bobale in 2009. However, soon Bobale registered a case of domestic violence against Umesh. Among the witnesses against Umesh were 10 people including Tanuja’s brother. Now Umesh will undergo life imprisonment for murdering his wife. The accused’s aunt said that Umesh would often take Tanuja out for dinners and movies. But in a fit of rage probably the murder took place.
The court consistently refused Bobale’s request for release, arguing that ongoing litigation couldn’t be used as justification for doing so. Bail might potentially have an impact on the sole kid witness. He spent all of those years in custody at the Arthur Road Jail as a result.
According to the prosecution, their disagreement over the amount of alimony that Umesh was due to pay once the divorce was finalised served as the basis for the murder. A few months before the murder, the couple announced their divorce.
The victim’s sister testified during the trial that the pair started fighting after six months of marriage. Bobale developed mistrust for his wife, especially after she arrived home from work after hours. He started questioning Tanuja’s morality when she became pregnant and insisted on a DNA test, which established his fatherhood.
During the trial, the prosecution also heard testimony from the accused’s son, some neighbours, and the investigating officer.
Judge PP Bankar also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 along with the punishment. The court mandated that Bobale’s pre-trial time be taken into account when determining how much time he must serve because he had been imprisoned since December 11, 2016.