Fast Track Court sentences man to death in a rare instance

In one of the rarest judgments, the Fast Track Court One in Thodupuzha on Tuesday sentenced Konnackal Jomon, 23, for hanging in two separate cases, and life-term for destroying evidence and attacking his neighbour.

The two hangings were ordered by the Fast Track judge K.R. Jinan, in a single day in two separate cases for murdering his mother Mary (53) and his mother's father, Joseph (88) in one case, and killing their neighbours Onthuparayil Damodaran (78) and his daughter-in-law Santha (38), in another case on September 2, 2006 at Mukkudam in Kannathady panchayat in Idukki district.

Legal experts point out that the two hangings delivered by a court for one person in single day is the rarest in the Indian Judiciary.

The prosecution case was that Jomon hacked to death his mother and grand father who were living separately from him at 5 a.m. on September 2 and lit the gas stove to destroy evidence. Jomon, who sustained 40 per cent burns on his body, reached the neighbour Damodaran's house and asked to arrange an auto rikshaw to reach a hospital.

While the Damodarans’ son went to fetch an auto rikshaw, Damodaran enquired about the burns and decided to alert the neighbours. Enraged, Jomon also hacked to death Damodaran and Santha. Before reaching Damodaran's house, Jomon had attacked another neighbour, when asked the whereabouts of his mother.

Mary's house was fully destroyed in the fire and the stove burst with a big sound.

Delivering the judgment, the court observed that it was proved beyond doubt that Jomon was mentally sound while he committed the heinous act.