Ravindra Verma

Case record: Ravindra Verma

Background

Ravindra Verma was accused of killing his five children and injuring his wife in Ghaziabad.

His relatives stated that he had a history of mental illness and had attacked his children and wife earlier. Verma was also described as being “mentally ill” by his relatives and as being unemployed for the past couple of months. Verma had come to Ghaziabad from Bihar’s Siwan district about 20 years ago, and he had worked as a truck driver but was sacked about two months earlier.

Verma’s family life was described as severely disrupted because he used to sit idle at home. His wife insisted he find a job, and the family reported arguments and fights between him and his wife. A younger brother, Amit Verma, also reported that Ravinder used to argue with his parents.

A domestic and financial strain was mentioned. Economic stress was suggested by Inspector General of Police (Meerut range) Gurbachan Singh Lal, while Divisional Commissioner Radha Chauhan stated that economic deprivation could not have been the only reason and that some psychological factors might also have been there.

A previous killing was also reported: the police and relatives indicated that about three years before the 2009 incident, Verma killed his two-month-old daughter by throwing her on the floor of the house in a fit of rage.

Verma and his wife, Durgawati, were admitted to MMJ Hospital in Ghaziabad, and Durgawati was referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi. Her condition was described as critical; Ravinder was declared stable.

The offence

On June 8, 2009, the bodies of five children were found in their home in Rosy Colony. Police was told that after a quarrel with his wife, Verma battered his five children with a “silbatta” (a stone used to crush grains and spices). The five children were found badly battered to death.

The children were identified in different parts of the case as Anjali/Anjani, Preeti, Priyanka, Devraj, and Yuvraj/Lucky, with ages reported as follows:

• Anjali/Anjani was reported as 13, 12, and 14 in different accounts.
• Preeti was reported as 11 and 10.
• Priyanka was reported as 9 and nine-months-old (and also appeared as “Mona” in one account).
• Devraj was reported as 5 and 6.
• Yuvraj/Lucky was reported as nine months and as “Lucky” nine-month-old.

A police account described that Verma smashed the heads of four children, who were asleep, with a grinding stone. He then hit his wife Durgawati and the nine-month-old child, who were sleeping in another room. The infant was described as having died immediately, and Durgawati was found unconscious and critically injured.

In another report, it was stated that the victims appeared to have been killed with a blunt instrument, and that Ravindra Verma was found in the same room with wrists slit.

Investigation

A case of murder and attempt to suicide was registered at Vijay Nagar police station.

Police accounts said that Verma was heavily drunk at the time of the incident. Superintendent of Police (City) Rahul Yadvendu described that Ravinder Verma had smashed the heads of his four children with a grinding stone, then hit his wife and the nine-month-old child.

Inspector General (Meerut range) Gurbachan Singh Lal met the family’s relatives.

A report also said that Verma was arrested after police said he had critically injured his wife, killed his five children, and attempted to commit suicide.

Arrest

Verma was arrested by Ghaziabad police after the incident.

A case under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 309 (attempt to commit suicide) was registered against Ravindra Verma. The maximum term of imprisonment under section 308 was described as seven years.

Verma’s wife Durgawati was reported to be out of danger and recovering.

People

Ravindra Verma

Ravindra Verma was the accused and later sentenced to death on May 27, 2013.

Verma was described as an unemployed truck driver for the past couple of months at the time of the incident. He was also described as “mentally ill” by relatives and as having previously killed his two-month-old daughter by throwing her on the floor of the house in a fit of rage.

Durgawati (wife)

Durgawati was Ravindra Verma’s wife and was critically injured in the incident.

In her first statement after the incident, she said Verma attacked her when she was trying to protect the children from her husband. She said he had first attacked her with a knife, and then hit her on her head with an heavy iron object.

In court, later, Durgawati changed her statement and said her husband was “innocent”. In one account, she said her husband was “innocent” after first being described as a prime witness.

Amit Verma (younger brother)

Amit Verma was Ravindra Verma’s younger brother.

Amit Verma said that one of the children brought tea every morning but, on Monday morning, no one turned up and he became anxious. He said:

"We knocked at the door but there was no reply," Amit Verma said.

Amit Verma said a neighbour jumped onto the terrace and saw bloodstains near the stairs. He said:

"One of our neighbours then jumped on the terrace and saw bloodstains near the stairs. I went inside and found my brother, sister-in-law and my nine-month-old nephew lying in a pool of blood. My brother said, "Everything is finished." "And then he fainted." Amit Verma, too, works as a driver."

Amit Verma also said that Verma had argued with his parents:

"Ravinder used to argue with them as well."

And Amit Verma stated the context of their living arrangements:

"Since my eldest brother Subhash was a widower, my parents stayed with him," Amit Verma said.

He also indicated that he believed an argument could have led to the tragedy:

"He said a fight Monday might have led to the tragedy."

Subhash (eldest brother)

Subhash was described as an eldest brother who was a widower.

Trial

Ten witnesses were produced in court by the prosecution.

The children’s mother Durgawati later changed her statement. She told the court that her husband was “innocent”.

Sentencing

On May 27, 2013, the additional district and sessions judge pronounced a death sentence for Ravindra Verma on the charge of battering five of his children to death in Vijay Nagar four years earlier.

The judge was described as Arun Chandra Srivastava, and the judge described the case as a “rarest of rare case”. The judge said the man killed his children in a barbaric manner without any provocation.

The court also imposed Rs 1 lakh fine on the convict.

Outcome

Ravindra Verma was sentenced to death on May 27, 2013. His wife Durgawati became the prime witness initially but later turned hostile and told the court her husband was “innocent”.

Timeline

• June 8, 2009 — The bodies of five children were found in their home in Rosy Colony after police were told their father had battered them with a “silbatta” following a quarrel with his wife.
• June 9, 2009 — Reports described that Verma was arrested and had been charged with attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder and attempt to commit suicide; Durgawati was out of danger and recovering fast.
• May 27, 2013 — Ravindra Verma was sentenced to death by the additional district and sessions judge Arun Chandra Srivastava; the court also imposed Rs 1 lakh fine.

Other details

Verma was described as arriving in Ghaziabad about 20 years ago from Bihar’s Siwan district, and later moving about 15 years ago in another account.

Reports described Verma as unemployed for the past couple of months and said his financial condition was not good. Police suspected that financial condition might have contributed to his actions.

One report described Verma as declaring a stable condition after admission, while Durgawati’s condition was critical.

One report described relatives living near Verma’s house stating they had not heard anything the night before or on Monday morning.

A report stated that Verma came to Ghaziabad about 20 years ago from Bihar’s Siwan district and did odd jobs.

Another report stated that Ravindra Verma had smashed the heads of his four children who were asleep, then hit his wife and the nine-month-old child, and that the infant died immediately.

A report described Verma’s wrists being slit.

A report described the victims as Anjali (12), Priti (10), Ashu (8), Devraj (6), and Priyanka (nine-months-old) in one identification set, and in another set described the victims as Anjani, Preeti, Mona, Devraj, and nine-month-old Lucky.