Death sentence to three AIADMK men in bus burning case

Salem, Tamil Nadu, Feb 16: A local court today sentenced to death three AIADMK members convicted in the sensational Dharmapuri bus burning case, bringing the curtains down on the seven-year-long trial.

The incident shook the entire nation in which three girl students of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University were burnt alive, when the three AIADMK activists, set ablaze their college bus, protesting against the conviction of their party supremo J Jayalalithaa in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case in February 2000.

The First Additional District Sessions Judge D Krishna Raja pronounced the much awaited sentence in a packed court this morning.

The court had convicted Nedu alias Nedunchezhian (41), Madhu alias Ravindran (44) and Muniappan (52) under section 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC in addition to other offences yesterday.

They were awarded the death sentence for charges under section 302 and 46 counts under section 307 for attempting to murder 46 other students who were travelling in the bus. The judge also slapped a fine of Rs 59,000 on each of them for damaging the public property.

While the family members of the victims, including father of Kokilavani and Hemalatha hailed the judgement as a ''victory for justice'' and a ''lesson for those indulging in heinous crimes like this'', the trio and their relatives, assembled in the court hall, broke down after hearing the verdict. Soon after the Judge read out the sentences, police whisked away the three main accused amid tight security and took them to the Coimbatore central prison.

The Judge also sentenced 24 other accused to seven years and three months rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 13,000 each.

Another accused Mani was been setenced to undergo seven years and nine months rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 13,000.

These accused were found guilty under sections 188, 147, 341, 342 read with 149, 435 of IPC and other provisions of Tamil Nadu public property (prevention and destruction) Act.

After the judge declined bail to them, the 25 accused were taken out and lodged in the Salem sub jail.

In all, 31 people were arraigned in the case. After one of the accused Chellakutty was killed in an accident during the pendency of the case, 30 accused were tried in the case. Aquitting two of the accused, the sessions judge convicted 28 in the case.

The prosecution case was that after the mob set the bus on fire, pouring petrol, many students managed to jump out and escaped, while the three girls were trapped inside and burnt alive.

When the three girl students tried to escape, the accused, shut the door and prevented them from getting out of the bus, the prosecution had told the court.

The judge awarded death sentence to the trio, after holding that this was the ''rarest of rare'' cases, wherein the accused were involved in the heinous crime of burning three hapless girl students alive. Before pronouncing the verdict, the defence lawyers appearing for the three accused, pleaded with the judge to award minimum punishment, but the judge rejected their pleas, stating that it was a brutal and despicable act, warranting capital punishment.

The judge also dismissed the bail applications moved on behalf of 25 other accused and directed them to be lodged in jail.

The case witnessed many twists and turns during the pre-trial and trial stages, before the verdict could be delivered after a gap of seven years. Initially, the case was tried in the Krishnagiri court in November 2001, after which it was transferred to the sessions court here.

After the AIADMK came to power in 2001, the day-to-day trial proceedings in the case, came to a grinding halt and on a petition filed by Mr N P Veerasamy, father of Kokilavani, the Madras High court had ordered the transfer of the case from Krishnagiri to the sessions court here on August 22, 2003.

Even after the case was transferred, no headway could be made in the trial for two years between August 2003 to February 2005 as the then AIADMK government did not appoint Public Prosecutor.

After the appointment of Mr R Srinivasan as Public Prosecutor on Februray 17, 2005, the trial began in May 2005 and the judge, after elaborate arguments, reserved his orders on February 5.

Seven years after the gruesome incident, the judge had held 28 accused in the case guilty yesterday and pronounced the details of sentences this morning.

UNI