An Indian court has sentenced a man to death for murdering his wife, Lakshmi, by setting her on fire due to her dark skin tone. The 2017 attack, now resurfacing in headlines, highlights the country’s ongoing struggles with colourism.

Lakshmi had told authorities before her death that her husband, Kishandas, routinely mocked her complexion, calling her “kali” and body-shaming her since their marriage in 2016.

On the night of the murder, Kishandas brought home a liquid he claimed was a skin-lightening treatment. After applying it to her, he ignited it with an incense stick. As she burned, he poured more of the liquid on her before fleeing. Lakshmi later died in the hospital from severe burns.

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