A youth who raped and murdered a college girl was awarded life imprisonment by a court in Krishnagiri on Monday.
S. Govindan (23) of Pazhaiyur village near Chennappanaickanur in Krishnagiri district was also facing charges of rape and murder of a minor girl and attempt to kill a schoolteacher on different occasions, police sources said.
On December 28, 2011, Govindan attempted to murder a schoolteacher in Uthangarai. The victim raised an alarm drawing the attention of some passers-by who nabbed the youth and handed him over to the local police. Interrogation revealed that Govindan was involved in the rape and murder of a college girl at Uthangarai on January 21, 2011.
The teenager who did not return home from college was found dead with a severe head injury and a post-mortem revealed that she was sexually assaulted. He was also accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl at Peelamedu in Coimbatore district, the sources said.
After obtaining conditional bail, Govindan made an attempt on the life of the schoolteacher. He was then detained under the Goondas Act. In the case pertaining to the rape and murder of the college girl, the Additional Sessions Court in Krishnagiri sentenced the accused to life imprisonment. He was also slapped with a ten year Rigorous Imprisonment for rape and a penalty of Rs. 2,500.
“The modus operandi of the accused was to immobilise his victim by causing a severe head injury.
He would then rape them. Before escaping he would drop a big stone on the victim’s head to ensure death.
In the first case he was released on bail because the charge sheet was not filed within the stipulated time. In the second case, he was given bail on the ground that the charge sheet was filed and investigation was over,” a senior police official added.
