Madras High Court Overturns Acquittal, Awards Life Terms in 2013 Election Murder Case
In a significant judicial reversal, the Madras High Court has overturned an acquittal from eight years ago, sentencing 21 individuals to life imprisonment for a murder connected to election rivalry in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu. The case dates back to 2013, when a man was killed amid tensions over a local panchayat election.
Court's Ruling on Evidence and Acquittal
A division bench comprising Justice P Velmurugan and Justice M Jothiraman delivered the verdict on Tuesday, stating that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt. The bench emphasized that the trial court had misappreciated evidence by focusing on minor discrepancies, leading to a perverse acquittal in 2017.
"On a careful re-appreciation of the entire evidence on record, we find that the prosecution proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt and also proved the presence of the accused as members of an unlawful assembly and also the existence of a common object to cause the death of the deceased," the bench noted.
They added, "The evidence of eyewitnesses is cogent, consistent and inspires the confidence of the court, and stands corroborated by other material evidence. The trial court discarded reliable evidence wholly on untenable grounds, placing undue emphasis on minor discrepancies and trivial contradictions, which do not go to the root of the prosecution case. Such an approach amounts to a clear misappreciation of evidence and renders the acquittal perverse."
Background of the 2013 Murder Incident
According to prosecution details, the murder stemmed from prior enmity between Baskar and Krishnaveni related to the Kiliyanur panchayat election. On May 29, 2013, Baskar attended a function at the local Mariamman temple. Upon returning home with his wife, Amudha, around 12:30 AM on May 30, 2013, Krishnaveni and other accused allegedly assembled outside his house armed with deadly weapons with the intent to murder him.
When Baskar attempted to escape, he was chased by the gang and fatally attacked with weapons. The trial court had acquitted all 23 accused on April 28, 2017, but this decision has now been reversed by the high court.
List of Convicted Individuals
The high court found the following 21 individuals guilty of murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment:
- Krishnaveni
- Madhanraj
- Madhankumar
- Kathamuthu
- Parthiban
- Rani
- Moorthy alias Krishnamoorthy
- Marimuthu
- Suresh
- Jayaraj
- Murali
- Dass alias Sivaprakasam
- Janarthanan
- Sivakumar
- Jeyasekar
- Veeramani
- Jayagandhan
- Vinoth alias Vinothkumar
- Karunanidhi
- Gnanasekaran
- Ramadas
The appeal was filed by Baskar's wife, Amudha, who was aggrieved by the trial court's acquittal. The high court's ruling marks a pivotal moment in this long-standing legal battle, underscoring the importance of thorough evidence evaluation in criminal cases.
