Knowledge is Power: 60-Year-Old Woman Accused of Husband’s Murder Defends Herself with Chemistry Argument
Knowledge is Power: 60-Year-Old Woman Accused of Husband’s Murder Defends Herself with Chemistry Argument
Clip of retired professor Mamata Pathak challenging post-mortem findings goes viral, netizens compare it to a courtroom drama
A courtroom scene straight out of a gripping drama has stunned the internet, as a 60-year-old woman accused of murdering her husband surprised the Madhya Pradesh High Court with a highly technical, chemistry-based argument in her own defence.
The woman, Mamata Pathak, a retired chemistry professor, is the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband, Dr. Neeraj Pathak, a retired government doctor. The case, registered as Mamta Pathak vs State of Madhya Pradesh, revolves around serious allegations that she gave her husband a heavy dose of sleeping pills and later electrocuted him, allegedly after discovering his extramarital affair.
During a recent hearing at the Jabalpur Bench of the MP High Court, Justice Vivek Agarwal asked her, “You are accused of murdering your husband by electrocution. What do you have to say about the post-mortem’s findings?”
What followed has since gone viral on social media.
Standing in her own defence, Mamata questioned the reliability of the post-mortem report, stating:
“In the post-mortem room, it is not possible to differentiate between thermal burns and electric burn marks. When current flows, volatilisation of atoms occurs… particles of the metal get deposited in the tissue. When it goes to the lab, they remove the burn mark, separate the particles, and dissolve them with chemicals to determine whether…”
At this point, a visibly surprised Justice Agarwal asked, “Are you a Chemistry professor?”
To which Mamata replied, “Yes.”
The calm and confident delivery of her argument stunned not only the courtroom but also the internet, where the video quickly went viral.
Public Reactions
The unexpected courtroom moment sparked a wave of reactions online, with many drawing comparisons to crime dramas and movies.
One user commented: “I thought it was a scene from a Bollywood or Hollywood movie.”
Another added: “Breaking Bad moment!”—referring to the popular series where a chemistry teacher turns into a criminal mastermind.
Despite the viral attention, the charges against Mamata are grave. According to the police chargesheet, she allegedly confessed to giving her husband an overdose of sleeping pills on the night of April 29, 2021, and later using electrical shocks to kill him. The investigation claims the motive was personal revenge after discovering his extramarital affair.
The Madhya Pradesh police had arrested Mamta Pathak for killing her husband, 63-year-old Neeraj Pathak, a retired government doctor 63, by giving him sleeping pills and allegedly inflicting electric shocks on him. She had then left Jhansi and claimed that she had found her husband dead when she returned. the police found audio of Neeraj Pathak, which went viral on social media, claiming his wife tortured him. A sessions court had found her guilty of murder and sentenced her to a life term. She then approached the High Court to appeal the decision and got bail last year.
Mamata, however, continues to maintain her innocence and is personally handling her legal defence.
