Welcoming the Supreme Court's verdict restoring the trial court's conviction of John David in the Navarasu murder case, the victim's father P.K. Ponnusamy has said the development confirms that the country's apex judicial body, “is the strongest pillar that our elders built in this country.”
In an e-mailed reaction to The Hindu from the United States, the former University of Madras Vice-Chancellor said of the verdict: “It confirms that the Supreme Court judges were alive to Navarasu's case from its origin, as any citizen of the country.”
Recalling that the tragedy took place on a university campus, Prof. Ponnusamy said there were “efforts to sabotage” the truth from day one. However, the media kept the incident alive and the police and the special public prosecutor “worked genuinely” to bring out the truth.
The trial court was satisfied with the evidence against the accused person and awarded two terms of life imprisonment, along with a seven-year sentence, to be undergone consecutively, besides imposing stiff fines.
“To everyone's shock, the appeal court (the Madras High Court) dismissed the charges on every count,” said Prof. Ponnusamy. “Personally, I was shocked at the High Court verdict,” he added. In contrast, the Supreme Court “decided to deal with the case as it was, and the result is the present verdict”.
However, he added that his family did not feel happy at this moment when the accused has been sentenced to life, but was happy that the truth had been upheld. “That moment (of happiness) had gone with Navarasu.”
