A sessions court in Vadodara has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the murder of his live-in partner at their residence in the Bapod area. The convict, Sachin Dixit (36), was found guilty of killing Heena Pethani (30) in 2021 following a domestic dispute.
Court Verdict and Evidence
Public prosecutor advocate Ramesh Gyanchandani stated, "The court considered all the evidence on record and sentenced Dixit to life imprisonment." The prosecution presented a strong case based on forensic and circumstantial evidence.
Relationship and Relocation
According to the prosecution, Dixit, a resident of Ahmedabad, was in a relationship with Pethani despite being married to another woman. In June 2021, the couple moved to Vadodara with their one-year-old son after Pethani persuaded Dixit to relocate for work, as she was struggling to manage alone in Ahmedabad.
Police investigations revealed that Dixit stayed with Pethani on weekdays in Vadodara and spent weekends with his parents in Ahmedabad.
The Murder and Cover-up
In October 2021, Dixit informed Pethani that he would be traveling to his native village in Uttar Pradesh with his parents. Pethani became upset, suspecting that Dixit's wife would accompany them. The argument escalated into a heated confrontation, during which Dixit strangled her in a fit of rage.
After the murder, Dixit packed Pethani's body in a suitcase and hid it in the kitchen of their residence. He then took their one-year-old son to Gandhinagar, where he abandoned the boy near a gaushala (cow shelter), before leaving for Uttar Pradesh with his family.
Discovery and Arrest
The case unraveled after local authorities were alerted about the abandoned child. During the investigation, police traced the registration number of Dixit's car, leading them to him. Upon questioning, the murder came to light, and Vadodara city police recovered Pethani's body from the suitcase.
The court's verdict brings closure to a tragic case that highlighted the vulnerabilities in live-in relationships and domestic violence. The life sentence serves as a deterrent against such heinous crimes.
