The Ernakulam principal sessions court on Thursday said the facts and circumstances of the Perumbavoor rape and murder case had a grave impact on social order and that the gravity of the offence on society was unparalleled.
Awarding the capital punishment to Muhammed Ameerul Islam in the case, principal sessions judge N. Anilkumar observed that the “the brutal acts of the convict definitely fit this case within the umbrella of the ‘rarest of rare cases’ on a par with the Nirbhaya case.”
“When the collective conscience of the community is so shocked, it is the duty of the court to inflict death penalty, irrespective of personal opinion as regards desirability of imposing death penalty...,” the judge said.
No repentance
The court noted that even after his conviction, the accused maintained that he was innocent. He had no repentance. The convict was not prepared to“balance the scale of justice with repentance”.
There was a clear demonstration of exceptional depravity and extreme brutality towards a helpless woman. The extreme pain and torture inflicted upon the victim was evident from the facts and circumstances of the case.
The court also recommended that appropriate compensation under Section 357A of the Criminal Procedure Code (victim compensation scheme) be awarded to the legal heirs of the victim. The quantum of of compensation could be decided by the Ernakulam District Legal Services Authority.
The mother of the victim thanked the judiciary and God, while counsel for the convict said an appeal would be filed against the verdict in the Kerala High Court.
