Mamta Pathak, a retired chemistry professor, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the April 2021 murder of her husband, Neeraj Pathak, after being found guilty of killing him by electrocution. The case drew significant media attention and a viral courtroom exchange where Mamta sought to defend herself, citing her expertise in chemistry to challenge the autopsy findings related to her husband’s cause of death.
Dressed in a traditional white sari and equipped with a keen intellect, Mamta stood before the judges in Madhya Pradesh, India, confidently presenting her arguments. She insisted that without proper chemical analysis, the distinction between thermal and electrical burn marks could not be conclusively made. However, the presiding judge reminded her of the findings of the doctor who conducted the autopsy, which indicated clear signs of electrocution.
Her articulate defense included claims of procedural errors in the investigation, and she argued that the lack of thorough examinations at the crime scene had compromised the evidence. Mamta's insistence that no fingerprints linked her to the crime scene and her proposal that her husband’s medical conditions could have contributed to his death were dismissed by the court.
Despite her attempts to dissect the case and apply her chemistry knowledge, the circumstantial evidence proved overwhelming. The judges ruled that Mamta had drugged her husband before causing his electrocution, citing her longstanding marital discord and a motive rooted in allegations of infidelity and financial disputes.
Neeraj, a retired physician, was discovered dead in their home after Mamta reportedly delayed informing authorities for several days. Surveillance footage and the seizure of incriminating evidence, including a length of electric wire and sleeping pills, were pivotal in her conviction.
Throughout her trial, Mamta's fervent defense was matched by her emotional struggle, oscillating between conviction and desperation. As she attempted to convince the judges of her innocence while evoking her identity as a devoted mother, the court remained unyielding.
In the end, even Mamta’s extensive knowledge of chemistry could not counter the weight of the evidence against her. Her courtroom defense became a poignant narrative of tragedy and loss, highlighting the complexities of marital relationships and the grim reality of her circumstances as both an accused murderer and a grieving wife.
