Man in India Convicted of Using Venomous Cobra to Kill Wife

A man in India was found guilty of murdering his wife last year with a venomous cobra, The Independent reports. 

The man, who has been identified as Sooraj, allegedly obtained two snakes through a snake catcher, and released them onto his wife on two occasions over a three-month span. The first incident occurred in March 2020 when his wife, Uthra, was bitten by a viper at their home, and left bedridden for 52 days. Her injuries also required plastic surgery. 

Days after Uthra returned to her home in May, Sooraj released a cobra which bit and killed her. Autopsy reports initially determined her death was from a snakebite. Her family filed a police complaint under the suspicion of wrongdoing, alleging she was being harassed by his family over dowry payments prior to her death. 

Even after Sooraj received money and gold in wake of his marriage to Uthra, police suspect he still wasn’t satisfied, and may have factored into his plot to kill her. 

Sooraj was arrested and charged with murder. While speaking with authorities, he confessed to killing Uthra by sedating her with sleeping pills and unleashing a cobra with the intent of attacking her. Police believe Sooraj never showed signs of guilt throughout the investigating and trial process. 

“We perceive Sooraj as a seasoned criminal without any guilt. He never admitted anything more than the evidence we presented. He gave statements in a calculated manner,” SP S Harisankar, a police superintendent, said. 

Sooraj will be sentenced on Oct. 13. His parents and sister were also charged with domestic violence.