Serial rapist and murderer M Sankar alias Jayasankar (38) was awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment in a case of attack and attempt to rape a woman of Perandapalli near Hosur by a sub-court here on Monday.
According to the prosecution the convict Jayasankar, son of Marimuthu of Kattuvallu village in Salem district, attempted to rape Urmila (45) when she was on her way to work in a stone crushing unit near Perandapalli in Hosur coming under Hudco police limits on July 3, 2009.
When she tried to escape from him after raising an alarm, the psycho killer stabbed her with a knife in three places on her body and fled the spot.
The convict was wanted by Tamil Nadu police in connection with 19 rape and murder cases and the Karnataka police was also on the lookout for him as he allegedly involved in eight murder and six rape cases in that state.
He was arrested at Elagi village in Bijapur district in Karnataka in May last year.
During interrogation by police of both the states, he admAitted to having attacked Urmila of Hosur. Following this Hosur police registered a case in this connection against him and it was heard by the sub-court in Hosur.
When the case came up for hearing on Monday, the judge found Jayasankar guilty of attacking Urmila and attempt to rape the victim and sentenced him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment. Besides, the Judge also slapped a fine of `1,000 fine on the convict.
The psycho killer was first arrested by Tirupur police on October 19, 2009 on charges of raping and murdering a woman constable Jayarani at Permanalur, while she was returning late in the night after finishing a VIP bandobust duty. She was reportedly abducted, raped and murdered by Jayasankar in August 2009. He has also raped several women and had committed many murders in different parts of the state.
On March 17, 2011, when the serial rapist was being brought to the Coimbatore Central Prison after being produced in various courts in connection with several cases, he gave the slip to the police at the Salem bus stand. After this, one of the escort constables M Chinnasamy (24) shot himself to death on March 19.
Later Jayasankar shifted his base to Karnataka, where also he had committed many rapes and murders.