Chennai: Madras high court has upheld life sentence awarded to two accused by the trial court in a murder for gain case at Erode in 2012.
A division bench comprising Justices C.T. Selvam and N. Sathish Kumar confirmed the order of the Mahila Court in Erode and dismissed the appeals filed by Sathishkumar and Soundararajan.
The case of the prosecution was that Sathishkumar who had acquaintance with the deceased Mohanasundari, took her in a van on November 23, 2012 and went to the lodge and thereafter, along with his friends Soundararajan and Manikandan proceeded in a car to Kodaikanal and on the way, near a bridge at Eastman spinning mills, he asked the deceased to remove her chain and ear studs. When she resisted, she was murdered by them and her body was dumped underneath the bridge. During the pendency of trial, Manikandan turned approver and he was examined as a witness for prosecution. After conclusion of the trial, the lower court awarded life sentence to Sathishkumar and Soundararajan.
The counsel for the accused contended that they were not given a fair trial and the evidence of the approver cannot be given much importance.
“This court is of the view that the evidence of the approver is corroborated by other material particulars and the same cannot be eschewed merely because Manikandan, later had turned approver and supported the prosecution version,” the bench said.
This court also finds that from every circumstances placed by the prosecution, charge under section 120 B (Conspiracy) also has been clearly established against the accused.To prove the charge of conspiracy, direct evidence was always impossible. The evidence of the approver coupled with other corroborative evidence establishes the charge of conspiracy against the two accused. Therefore, this court was of the view that the prosecution has proved all the circumstances beyond all reasonable doubt and the judgment of the trial court warrants no interference at the hands of this court, the bench added.
