SOUMYA MURDER: GOVINDACHAMI FOUND GUILTY

SOUMYA MURDER: 

GOVINDACHAMI FOUND GUILTY

A fast track court here Monday, 31st October, 2011, found a man from Tamil Nadu guilty of rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman, who he pushed out of a running train in February this year. Judge K N Ravendra Babu found 30-year-old Govindachamy guilty in the case and said the quantum of sentence would be pronounced on November 4. The prosecution's case was that Govindachamy had assaulted Soumya in the ladies compartment of Kochi-Shornur passenger train on February 1 and pushed her out immediately after it left Vallathol Nagar railway station.
She was on way to her home near Shornur after attending office at Ernakulam. Govindachamy was arrested on February 3 from Palakaad. Soumya succumbed to her injuries at Thrissur Medical College Hospital on February 6.

The prosecutor had pleaded for capital punishment, saying it was the rarest of rare case in the light of the scientific and circumstantial evidence produced in court. He also contended that absence of eyewitnesses should not be a lacuna in awarding maximum punishment "as the man had no qualm of conscience in committing rape and murder together." Of a total of 154 witnesses, statements of 82 were recorded before the court. Besides, 105 documents, 43 pieces of evidence were also produced before the court, pressing for the capital punishment to the accused.
The court also told the police to level criminal charges against Dr Unmesh, who conducted post mortem of Soumya, but later came out against the report filed by Dr. Shirly Vasu, his department chief. 

                                                                Prof. John Kurakar