Kiranjit Ahluwalia | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955 (age 68–69) Chak Kalal, Punjab, India |
| Occupation(s) | Human rights activist, author |
| Children | 2 sons |
Kiranjit Ahluwalia (born 1955) is an Indian woman who fatally burned her husband in 1989 in the UK. She claimed it was in response to ten years of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse.[1] After initially being convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, Ahluwalia's conviction was later overturned on grounds of inadequate counsel and replaced with voluntary manslaughter. Although her submission of provocation failed (under R v Duffy the loss of control needed to be sudden,[2] which this was not), she successfully pleaded the partial defence of diminished responsibility under s.2 Homicide Act 1957 on the grounds that fresh medical evidence (which was not available at her original trial) may indicate diminished mental responsibility.[3]
The film Provoked (2006) is a fictionalised account of Ahluwalia's life.