Sudhir Somrah, 45 years old at the time of the events, was sentenced to 32 years in prison by Judge Luchmyparsad Aujayeb sitting in court. He had pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife, Anju Umawtee Somrah, 34. The crime took place on July 9, 2017 in St-Remy in Flacq. A mason by profession, he had stabbed his wife several times, who was the victim of domestic violence.
The marital disputes had started after two years of marriage and were mainly linked to housing problems. The couple had moved from Terre-Rouge to St-Remy. but the conflicts continued. Anju Somrah had reported a case of sodomy in 2017, obtaining a protection order. Sudhir Somrah had also delayed payment of alimony and the police had been contacted.
On the day of the crime, the accused met his wife at the Flacq police station to settle alimony. However, an argument broke out when he asked to see his children, which the victim refused. This refusal angered the accused, who then planned his murder by buying a knife at the market and waiting at home to attack him when he returned. As soon as the victim entered, the accused strangled her and stabbed her several times, inflicting fatal injuries, including one to the heart.
Forensic evidence, including DNA analysis on the knife, confirmed the defendant’s involvement. The autopsy revealed several stab wounds, with a fatal wound to the heart, confirming death from hemorrhagic shock. Judge Auyajeb accepted that the accused had expressed remorse, cooperated with the investigation and had been in custody for six years. However, he stressed the premeditated nature of the attack, the accused having bought a knife and waited for his wife to kill her. The murder took place inside the marital home, in the presence of the couple’s four children, which further aggravated the situation.
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