The Mahila Court on Wednesday sentenced a 40-year-old man to life imprisonment for murdering his wife.

According to sources, the accused was Manivelraja of Indhiranagar near Sowripalayam in the city and the deceased was Parameshwari (40).

Public Prosecutor R Sarojini said Parameshwari of Sowripalayam had separated from her first husband Rangasamy four years ago and had been living with Manivelraja. He used to come home drunk and frequently quarreled with her.

In between, the accused developed a relationship with another woman from Tirupur. He used to abuse Parameshwari, beat her and asked her to leave.

On December 21, 2013, a quarrel broke out between them and Manivelraja poured kerosene on her, set her on fire and fled. Hearing her screams, neighbours came and took her to CMCH where she was admitted with 80 per cent burns. A week later, she died.

Peelamedu police arrested Manivelraja and registered a case under section 302 of IPC.

On Wednesday, judge Alli Rani sentenced Manivelraja to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000.