The death sentence imposed by a trial court on a man convicted for the rape and murder of a Class XII girl in Vilathukulam, Tuticorin district, has been referred to the Madras High Court for confirmation. The referral was made on Friday.
Court Proceedings
Convict Dharmamuneeswaran, who appeared via video conference from Madurai Central Prison, informed the court that he has engaged a counsel to file an appeal against the trial court judgment. A division bench comprising Justice N. Anand Venkatesh and Justice K.K. Ramakrishnan has scheduled the referred trial case for hearing on June 12.
Details of the Crime
The victim, a 17-year-old girl from a village in Tuticorin, was found dead in a bush on March 11, approximately 300 metres from her home. She had gone missing on the evening of March 10 after leaving her house to answer nature’s call. Police later discovered her body with strangulation injuries to the neck.
Investigation and Arrest
The Kulathur police initially registered a missing person case, which was later altered to one under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Subsequently, they arrested Dharmamuneeswaran, a 38-year-old resident of Ramanathapuram district.
Trial and Sentencing
After completing the investigation, police filed a chargesheet before the court. On May 25, the special court for exclusive trial of cases under the POCSO Act convicted and sentenced Dharmamuneeswaran to death.
