The special court for trial of cases under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Cuddalore on Monday convicted and sentenced four members of a family to double life imprisonment for the murder of a 28-year-old woman belonging to the Adi-dravidar community.
Special Court Judge S. Uthamaraj sentenced A. Saravanan, 36; V. Venkatesan, 71; A. Selvi, 61; and V. Shakunthala, 47 ; to double life imprisonment. The court had found them guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 120 (b) criminal conspiracy and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.
According to prosecution, the accused Saravanan, belonging to an intermediate caste, was in love with Sita. The couple got their marriage registered in Cuddalore on May 5, 2014 against the wishes of his family. Subsequently, Saravanan and Sita lived at his home in Chidambaram.
On June 17, 2014, Saravanan, his sister Shakunthala, his mother Selvi and brother-in-law Venkatesan conspired to murder Sita. Saravanan and Venkatesan murdered her while Selvi and Shakunthala stood guard outside the house. The four later burnt her body and buried the remains in a pit dug behind their house.
Based on a missing complaint lodged by the victim’s father, the police registered a case and arrested the four.
The case came up in the special court for SC/ST cases on Monday. Judge S. Uthamaraj sentenced the four to double life imprisonment. The judge also slapped a fine of ₹25,000 each on Saravanan and Venkatesan and ₹20,000 each on Shakunthala and Selvi.
