MUMBAI: Four years after a four-year-old boy witnessed his mother’s murder, his statement in the trial court that “my father killed her… by knife” ensured that the sessions court awarded the life sentence to a 48-year-old dentist from Dadar on Monday.The dentist was held guilty of stabbing to death his 36-year-old accountant wife in 2016.

The victim, Tanuja Bobale, was left with 37 injuries.The accused, Umesh Bobale, had called the police after the murder on December 11, 2016, and surrendered.Answering 54 questions posed by the prosecution and the defence, the child, who was in class 2 when he deposed before the court as a key witness in 2020, said that he did not scream when he saw his father assaulting his mother with a knife.

“But I was feeling something (palpitation) in my heart,” the child said.The child’s maternal uncle said that the accused used to suspect the victim’s character as she worked late.

The uncle said Umesh had even conducted a DNA test, claiming that he had not fathered the child.

The tests had proved the accused wrong.Special public prosecutor R V Kini examined 10 witnesses.

Among them were the child, the victim’s brother, the maternal aunt of the accused, and the building watchman.The court shot down the claims of the accused that he was suffering from a mental health condition and unaware of what he was doing at the time.A private psychiatrist who deposed as a defence witness for the accused claimed that the act was triggered due to emotional distress and extreme anxiety, for which he was taking treatment and that the incident could be described as “emotional hi-jack”.Married in 2009 to the accused, Tanuja had filed a domestic violence complaint against him, had separated, and eventually stayed with his maternal aunt.

The accused was previously married and divorced.

Judge P P Bankar said: “Accused Umesh Bobale is hereby convicted ..

for offence punishable under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code and is hereby sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life and to pay fine of Rs 20,000.”During the trial, responding to questions posed by Kini, the child said that he was present when his mother was killed.

“In night-time my father started beating my mother and that time he locked me in room of Aaji (grandmother)….,” the child said.

The accused has been in jail since his arrest on December 11, 2016.

He was denied bail.

The child has been living with the mother’s family.