Indore, In the high-profile Shivani murder case that occurred six and a half years ago in the city's Kanadiya police station area, the district court has sentenced her husband, Amitesh alias Shalu Pateria, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of the premeditated murder of his wife. The court also convicted him of destroying evidence and killing a cobra—a protected species—imposing separate sentences and fines for these offenses.

Additional Public Prosecutor Chandrashekhar Chaudhary stated that the entire sequence of events was uncovered based on scientific evidence, the post-mortem report, FSL analysis, and other circumstantial evidence gathered during the police investigation. The investigation also revealed that Shivani had been subjected to harassment over demands for dowry and money ever since her marriage. The police had also filed a charge sheet naming Amitesh's father, Omprakash, and another woman as accused in the case.

Post-mortem reports of both the woman and the cobra served as crucial evidence

During the trial, the prosecution presented the post-mortem report of the deceased cobra alongside Shivani's post-mortem report. The statement of Dr. Uttam Yadav, the zoo veterinarian who examined the cobra, was also recorded.

According to the prosecution, during the inspection of the crime scene, the police found a dead cobra in addition to the bed, pillow covers, and other items. However, Shivani's post-mortem report clarified that her death was caused by suffocation resulting from her mouth being smothered.

What was the case about?

According to the prosecution, on December 1, 2019, Amitesh alias Shalu Pateria—a resident of Sanchar Nagar Extension—murdered his wife, Shivani, by smothering her with a pillow. Subsequently, in an attempt to pass the incident off as an accident, he brought a cobra and had it bite the body so that the cause of death would appear to be a snakebite. During the investigation, an investigating officer informed the court that the accused had admitted during interrogation to purchasing a cobra for ₹5,000 from a snake charmer at the Alwar railway station in Rajasthan. Witnesses from Shivani's maternal family also testified in court regarding the long-standing marital discord and family disputes between the couple. The investigation further revealed that the accused had procured the cobra from a location approximately 621 kilometers away.

**Killed the cobra to destroy evidence**

In its verdict, the Additional Sessions Judge noted that the accused had also killed the cobra after murdering his wife. According to Additional Public Prosecutor Chandrashekhar Chaudhary, the prosecution presented a total of 28 witnesses—including police officers, members of the post-mortem board, and a veterinarian—to substantiate the charges.

Based on the evidence and testimonies, the court convicted the accused and sentenced him to life imprisonment, in addition to penalties under other relevant sections of the law.