Coimbatore Twin Murder Case: Supreme Court Stayed Death Sentence Awarded To Manoharan
Chennai: Supreme Court of India on Monday stayed the death penalty of
the lone surviving accused R Manoharan in the sensational Muskan Jain and
Hrithik Jain murder case that rocked the state on October 29, 2010.
Muskan Jain and Hritik Jain |
While one of the accused Mohana Krishnan, 27, was killed in
police encounter on November 9, 2010, police personnel arrested his aide R Manoharan,
26, and filed charge sheet against him in the Mahila Court in Coimbatore, were
the trial was conducted. The judge M P Subramanian pronounced double death
sentence to the accused Manoharan.
After the Madras high court confirmed the death sentence for
Manoharan this year, Manoharan approached the Supreme Court to issue stay in
death sentence. His counsels’ senior advocate A Raghunathan and P Vinaykumar appeared
for him in the Supreme Court and the case came up for hearing on Monday before
the first bench of the Supreme Court of India.
The first bench of the Supreme Court of India on Monday has
stayed the death sentence of Manoharan awarded by the lower court and confirmed
by the Madras high court. The SC also issued notice to the state government of
Tamil Nadu to file reply in the case.
R Manoharan |
Pronouncing the verdict, Mahila court judge M P Subramanian
also awarded three life sentences to Manoharan for various crimes including
conspiracy, rape, abduction and kidnapping for ransom. He was also sentenced to
three years of rigorous imprisonment for concealment of evidence.
The judge said the accused was found guilty under the
charges of conspiracy, abduction, rape, murder and concealment of evidence. The
court examined 47 witnesses and verified 69 documentary evidences before
pronouncing the sentence. The judge said capital punishment was unavoidable and
that it would send a strong warning to those who commit crimes against women
and children. The culprit deserves no mercy and he must be hanged till death,
the court observed.
According to the police, Muskan Jain, 10 and her brother
Hrithik Jain, 7, children of a textile merchant in Range Gowder Street, were
abducted by a call taxi driver Mohan alias Raja alias Mohanakrishnan on October
29, 2010. The girl was raped and the boy tortured before they were drowned at
the PAP canal near Pollachi on the same day. The murder came to light only on
October 31 and police arrested both Mohanakrishnan and his accomplice,
Manoharan of Angalakurichi near Pollachi from their house.
Mohanakrishnan, 27, was shot by the police on November 9,
2010 while he was being taken to the scene of crime. Police claimed he was shot
when he tried to escape from the police vehicle after assaulting those who
escorted him. Manoharan claimed that he was innocent and broke down in court.
His aged parents, Ramasamy and Selvi, who were present in the packed court
room, also broke down after hearing the sentence.