Coimbatore Twin Murder Case: Supreme Court Stayed Death Sentence Awarded To Manoharan

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.