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.
Convict's Statement and Court Proceedings
The convict, Dharmamuneeswaran, appeared via video conference from Madurai Central Prison and informed the court that he had engaged a counsel to file an appeal against the trial court's judgment. A division bench comprising Justice N Anand Venkatesh and Justice K K Ramakrishnan has scheduled the hearing for 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, which showed signs of strangulation injuries to the neck. 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.
Investigation and Trial
Following the discovery of the body, police arrested Dharmamuneeswaran, a 38-year-old resident of Ramanathapuram district. After completing the investigation, the police filed a chargesheet before the court. On May 25, the special court designated for the exclusive trial of cases under the POCSO Act convicted Dharmamuneeswaran and sentenced him to death. The confirmation of the death sentence by the High Court is a mandatory legal procedure under Indian law.
