Law Student Jisha Murder case: Sole accused moves Supreme Court against conviction, death sentence

Muhammed Ameerul Islam, who was sentenced to death in the Jisha rape and murder case, has approached the Supreme Court challenging his conviction and death penalty [Muhammed Ameer-ul-Islam V. State of Kerala Etc.]..On May 20 this year, the Kerala High Court had upheld the conviction and death penalty awarded by a sessions court to Ameerul, who was the sole accused in the case which involves the rape and murder of a Dalit law student in 2016..Ameerul has now moved a plea before the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's ruling against him, arguing that his conviction in the case was based on conjectures and surmises rather than strong evidence.He has alleged that the investigating authorities fabricated evidence against him, that there were irregularities in his arrest, that the prosecution never proved he had any motive to commit the crime and that the witnesses and evidence presented in the case do not inspire confidence.Further, it is argued that the death penalty should not have been imposed on him considering his socio-economic background, the fact that he had zero criminal antecedents and given his unblemished conduct in jail.Notably, Ameerul also referred to a mitigation investigation (conducted on a directive by the Kerala High Court in May last year) by the team behind Project 39A of the National Law University, New Delhi.He pointed out that the mitigation investigation report revealed that he was "not extremely culpable" and that the death sentence handed down to him by the trial court did not factor in his reformative abilities..The case concerns the death of Jisha, who was a student at the Ernakulam Government Law College. Jisha's mutilated corpse was found in her house at Perumbavoor on the morning of April 28, 2016, prompting mass outrage. The case also acquired a casteist undertone, as Jisha’s family lamented their apparent ill-treatment by neighbours in the area.Ameerul, a migrant worker from Assam, was eventually hauled up and accused of having committed the crime after allegedly breaking into Jisha’s house in a drunken stupor the night before. In December 2017, the Ernakulam Sessions Court found Ameerul guilty of all offences charged against him, save for those under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (causing disappearance of evidence) and charges under Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015.The Sessions Court sentenced him to death and also imposed four terms of rigorous imprisonment which were to run concurrently.Subsequently, Ameerul moved an appeal before the High Court challenging his conviction and sentence. He also sought a re-investigation by a central agency.The High Court dismissed his appeal on May 20..The plea by Muhammed Ameer-ul-Islam challenging the High Court verdict before the Supreme Court has been filed through advocate P Sriram.