The Madras High Court recently upheld the conviction and life sentence imposed on a man for murdering a woman engineering student inside her classroom after she refused to continue a relationship with him.
The Division Bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh and Justice K K Ramakrishnan dismissed the appeal filed by Udayakumar, who had been convicted by a Karur court for the murder of Sonali, a third-year Civil Engineering student at Karur College of Engineering.
The Court observed that the case reflected an alarming social trend in which some men react violently to rejection in relationships.
The Bench highlighted the tragic nature of the crime, noting that it stemmed from the accused’s inability to accept the victim’s decision to distance herself from the relationship. The Court further observed that such incidents were becoming increasingly common, with some men believing that women were bound to continue relationships against their wishes and resorting to violence when rejected.
According to the prosecution, Sonali and the accused had earlier shared a close relationship. However, after she distanced herself from him, the accused allegedly became agitated. On August 30, 2016, at around 10:30 a.m., he entered her classroom and allegedly attacked her repeatedly on the head with a wooden log. An assistant professor who attempted to intervene was also assaulted during the incident.
Sonali was subsequently shifted to Apollo Hospital Madurai, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The trial court convicted the accused under Sections 449, 294(b), 324, 302 and 506(II) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment for the offence of murder.
While affirming the conviction, the High Court criticised the investigation, particularly the prosecution’s claim that the weapon had been recovered from bushes after the accused’s arrest despite witnesses stating that it had been abandoned inside the classroom. The Bench observed that the investigating officer had mechanically introduced a recovery theory that was inconsistent with the evidence on record.
The Court, however, held that the lapse in investigation did not weaken the prosecution’s case. It found that the testimony of the injured witness was credible and reliable and was corroborated by medical evidence and other material available on record.
The Bench also expressed disappointment over students who allegedly witnessed the incident but later turned hostile during the trial. The Court observed that merely expressing dissent or outrage on social media was insufficient unless it translated into action and support for the truth.
The Court noted that the students had let down the deceased by failing to support the prosecution and had failed in their duty to stand by the truth during the criminal proceedings. Holding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, the High Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the conviction and life sentence imposed on the accused for the murder of the engineering student.
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