Home / Crime and Justice / Court Reverses Acquittal: 21 Jailed for 2013 Election Rivalry Murder
Court Reverses Acquittal: 21 Jailed for 2013 Election Rivalry Murder
17 Feb
Summary
- Madras High Court sentenced 21 individuals to life imprisonment.
- The ruling overturned a prior trial court acquittal from 2017.
- The murder occurred in 2013 due to election rivalry in Villupuram.
Eight years after an initial acquittal, the Madras High Court has delivered a life sentence to 21 individuals accused in a 2013 murder case. The division bench found that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, including the accused's involvement in an unlawful assembly with the common object of causing death.
The court stated that the trial court had misappreciated evidence by focusing on minor discrepancies. Eyewitness testimonies were deemed cogent and consistent, further corroborated by other material evidence, leading to the conclusion that the acquittal was perverse. The original trial concluded on April 28, 2017, with all 23 accused being acquitted.
The incident involved a murder driven by prior enmity related to the Kiliyanur panchayat election. The victim, Baskar, was murdered by a group armed with deadly weapons after returning home with his wife in the early hours of May 30, 2013. Baskar's wife appealed the acquittal, leading to the high court's revised judgment and sentencing.
