Coimbatore: A Special Court here today sentenced a 23-year old youth to undergo life imprisonment for murdering his wife, in full public view when she was travelling in a bus some 10 months ago.

The prosecution case was that daily wage earner Udaykumar of Sirumugai in the district married Anandi, a friend of his sister
after falling in love with her, in October 2016.

He used to quarrel and beat Anandi under influence of liquor, following which the woman removed her thaali (mangalasutra) and left home to stay with some relatives in Kothagiri in Nilgiris district.

Udayakumar went there and asked her to return and smashed her head to the wall, when she refused. She then went to stay with her mother near Annur.

On information that Anandi was travelling to Mettupalayam in bus along with her mother on May 5 last year, Udaykumar entered the bus and stabbed her with the knife, when she again refused to come and staywith him.

Anandi died in the Mettupalayam Government Hospital later and the case was heard in the Special Court here. Judge Gunasekharan awarded life sentence to Udayakjumar.