: The Special Additional Sessions Court (Marad cases) has awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.30,000 to a man for killing his neighbour at Pullurampara in Thiruvambady in the district seven years ago.
Writing the judgment here on Thursday, Special Judge S. Krishnakumar found Ansar, 42, of Ambalappuzha, Alappuzha district, of murdering Fatima, 48, wife of Saidalavi, in her house on June 12, 2008. The court had convicted the accused on Wednesday but the quantum of punishment was pronounced on Thursday.
The court awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.25,000 under Section 302 (murder); five years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.5,000 under Section 392 (robbery) and three years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 449 (house trespass in order to commit offence punishable with death) of the Indian Penal Code.
The imprisonment term will run concurrently. If the accused failed to remit the penalty he would have to undergo a year and three months more in prison.
No eyewitnesses
Additional District Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor C. Sugathan and lawyer Santosh K. Menon appeared for the prosecution in the case. The conviction was made considering the circumstantial evidence as there was no eyewitnesses in the case.
Ansar, a Gulf-returnee, was living at the house of his relative, Ali Akbar, a neighbour of Saidalavi, in the hill region of Pullurampara. Fatima was usually alone at her home during daytime as her husband left for work in Kozhikode city in the morning and returned only by night. Their two children also were living outside the district. The accused noticed that Fatima, who used to buy milk from Akbar’s house, had in her possession gold ornaments. Subsequently, after hatching a plot for robbery, he trespassed into her home, strangled her to death, and stole 10 sovereigns of gold ornaments and a purse.
Ansar left home informing his relatives that he had got a job as a security guard. However, the police nabbed him from the Alappuzha KSRTC bus station three days after the incident.
The court examined 28 witnesses, 32 documents, and 17 material objects during the trial. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Abdul Razak, who was then Koduvally Circle Inspector, investigated the case.
