MADURAI: Noting that the accused in the recent sexual assault and murder of a 17-year-old girl at Vilathikulam in Thoothukudi had allegedly committed the offence while out on bail in an earlier case, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday revoked the suspension of his life sentence and cancelled his bail.
A division bench comprising Justices N Anand Venkatesh and K K Ramakrishnan passed the order on a petition moved by the state, which sought withdrawal of the earlier suspension of sentence. A similar plea filed by the victim’s family was closed in view of the court’s decision.
The earlier case pertains to the sexual assault and murder of a woman in 2022, registered by the Ettaiyapuram police in Thoothukudi. The accused was convicted by a Fast Track Mahila Court in August 2024 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He subsequently filed an appeal, along with a plea seeking suspension of sentence and grant of bail.
A division bench of Justices G K Ilanthiraiyan and R Poornima had, on December 8, 2025, allowed the plea, taking into account the period of incarceration already undergone and the likelihood of delay in disposal of the appeal.
However, the accused was arrested last month in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a Class 12 student on March 10. The state government contended that the suspension of sentence had enabled him to secure bail and commit another offence.
Accepting the submission, the bench revoked the earlier order and cancelled his bail. The appeal filed by the accused against his life sentence remains pending.