KOCHI: Ten years after a crime that stunned Kerala’s conscience, the memory of Jisha refuses to fade. As Tuesday marks the tenth anniversary of her brutal rape and murder in Perumbavoor, the moment is made more poignant by the recent passing of her mother, Rajeshwari, 72, in March this year-closing a chapter of a long, painful fight for justice.
Jisha, a Dalit law student from a financially struggling family, was found murdered at her modest one-room house near the Periyar Valley canal bund ‘Purampokku’ at Kuruppampady on April 28, 2016. She lived with her mother, a daily wage labourer, in a house made of unplastered bricks with an asbestos roof.
On the day of the incident, she was alone at home when the accused, Muhammed Ameer-ul-Islam, a migrant worker allegedly entered the house under the influence of alcohol, armed with a knife, and committed sexual assault before killing her in a particularly brutal manner.
The case triggered widespread outrage across Kerala, with protests erupting over the delay in identifying the accused. The initial investigation faced severe criticism for lack of direction.
It was only after a special investigation team was formed that the probe gained momentum. Ameer-ul-Islam was arrested on June 16, 2016, after he attempted to flee to his home state of Assam by train from Aluva. Investigators said he had disposed of bloodstained clothes during his escape to destroy evidence.
In December 2017, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court awarded him the death sentence, citing strong scientific evidence and a well-prepared chargesheet. The verdict was later upheld by the Kerala High Court in May 2024, and dismissed his appeal and classified the case under the “rarest of the rare” category.
Sources said that early days of the investigation also drew ridicule, with police resorting to unusual methods such as asking locals to bite fruits to match dental patterns and displaying abandoned footwear found near the crime scene in hopes of identifying the suspect.
The reason for that was the bite marks on the body of Jisha. Police said there were wide gaps between front teeth of murderer. These efforts yielded no results and became symbolic of the challenges faced during the probe.
Ten years on, the case stands as a stark reminder of both the brutality of the crime and the long, often difficult journey to justice, leaving a lasting imprint on Kerala’s collective conscience.
Turn of events
April 28, 2016: Jisha found murdered at her residence in Iringole near Kuruppampady, Perumbavoor. Postmortem later confirms sexual assault and multiple injuries
May-June 2016: Statewide outrage and protests; the investigation faces criticism, prompting the formation of a special investigation team
June 16, 2016: Accused Muhammed Ameer-ul-Islam arrested from Aluva while attempting to flee to Assam
December 2017: Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court awards death sentence to Ameer-ul-Islam
May 2024: Kerala High Court upholds the death penalty, terming it a “rarest of the rare” case