Sentencing A Murugan, the 34-year old man, to triple life imprisonments for rape and double murders, Coimbatore Mahila Court judge M P Subramanian said the accused had exhibited animal instincts while committed the crime.
“The accused has committed the offence of rape just like an animal, that too in a open place... and in order to (shield) the offence he has strangulated the victim with the help of the chudidhar shawl and it is very pertinent to note that he left the body of the girl nude which shows that (the) accused is totally inhuman and does not deserve any leniency,” he said. The judge also noted that the accused had vaguely responded to the allegations against him as “false” or “wrong” or “incorrect” or “I don’t know.”
“This shows the attitude of the accused that he never intended to speak (the) truth … Particularly, he has not even answered under what circumstances he signed in the confession statement nor did he mention that his signature has been obtained under threat and coercion,” Subramanian pointed out.
According to the prosecution, the accused had made sexual advances against a 17-year old girl M Selvi in Somanthurai village near Kottur in Coimbatore.
The girl had complained about this to the owner of a Sakthi Thai Poultry Farm in the village where Murugan was employed following which the proprietor sacked him the same day. Angered by this, Murugan raped Selvi on July 5, 2008 and subsequently killed her. He also smothered her mother to death with a hammer.
The judge also imposed a 10-year rigorous imprisonment for robbing ornaments from the victims and seven years RI for house trespass.
Counsel for the accused said he would file an appeal in the HC challenging the conviction.