Vadodara, Oct 8 (UNI) A local court today awarded death sentence to a 37-year-old man for brutally killing his wife, suspecting her fidelity, and their two minor children in April 2004.

Vadodara Fast-track court judge J N Brahmabhatt found Suresh Rathodia guilty under section 302 of IPC, on the basis of the deposition of Rathodia's 6-year-old eldest daughter Meena, the lone eye-witness of the gruesome triple murder.

On the midnight of April 7, 2004, Rathodia, suspecting her fidelity, axed to death his 28-year-old wife Manjula and two-year-old daughter Ganga, when the entire family was fast asleep at their Soma Talavadi residence on the Dabhoi road near here.

The convict then assaulted his three-year-old son Bolu and threw him into the village pond leading to his death. But Meena, who was the lone witness to the entire incident, managed to escape the murderous attack of her father by hiding herself behind their television set in the house.

According to the prosecution case, victim Manjula, along with her three minor children, had left Rathodia's house to live with her parents after a serious quarrel with her husband a few days before the incident.

On that day, Rathodia brought her family back to Soma Talavadi after tendering an apology to his in-laws, and committed the offence after all members of the family went to sleep.

According to government pleader, the convict after committing the triple murder took some pesticides and during the trial of the case took the plea of insanity, which was rejected by the court after examination of his medical reports.

UNI