A six-judge Bench of the Supreme Court will consider the curative petition in the Soumya murder case..The Bench will be headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar. Besides Justices Ranjan Gogoi, PC Pant and UU Lalit, who had heard the case and passed the judgment, the Bench also comprises Justices Dipak Misra and Jasti Chelameswar..The matter will be considered in chambers at 1.30 pm on Thursday this week..In September last year, the Supreme Court set aside the Kerala High Court’s decision to impose the death penalty on the assailant, Govindachamy. The conviction of rape had, however, been upheld, which would mean that Govindachamy will serve life imprisonment..Govindachamy, a one-handed beggar, was accused of raping and murdering the victim, who was travelling in a women’s coach on the Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train. The prosecution case was that Govindachamy attacked Soumya and pushed her out of the slow-moving train. He then jumped off the train, carried the injured woman to a wooded area near the track and raped her. She later succumbed to her injuries..Approving the death penalty awarded by the lower Court, the Kerala High Court had classified the rape and murder among the “rarest of rare cases”..The Supreme Court had reserved its judgment in the appeal on September 8, with Gogoi J observing that though the offence of rape stood proved, the murder charge was based largely on circumstantial evidence..The case also featured Justice Markandey Katju being hauled up for contempt, for making comments on the apex court’s decision in a blogpost.
A six-judge Bench of the Supreme Court will consider the curative petition in the Soumya murder case..The Bench will be headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar. Besides Justices Ranjan Gogoi, PC Pant and UU Lalit, who had heard the case and passed the judgment, the Bench also comprises Justices Dipak Misra and Jasti Chelameswar..The matter will be considered in chambers at 1.30 pm on Thursday this week..In September last year, the Supreme Court set aside the Kerala High Court’s decision to impose the death penalty on the assailant, Govindachamy. The conviction of rape had, however, been upheld, which would mean that Govindachamy will serve life imprisonment..Govindachamy, a one-handed beggar, was accused of raping and murdering the victim, who was travelling in a women’s coach on the Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train. The prosecution case was that Govindachamy attacked Soumya and pushed her out of the slow-moving train. He then jumped off the train, carried the injured woman to a wooded area near the track and raped her. She later succumbed to her injuries..Approving the death penalty awarded by the lower Court, the Kerala High Court had classified the rape and murder among the “rarest of rare cases”..The Supreme Court had reserved its judgment in the appeal on September 8, with Gogoi J observing that though the offence of rape stood proved, the murder charge was based largely on circumstantial evidence..The case also featured Justice Markandey Katju being hauled up for contempt, for making comments on the apex court’s decision in a blogpost.
