Samatha case: Three men get death penalty for raping, murdering Dalit woman in Telangana

Hyderabad, Jan 30: A special court in Kumram Bheem-Asifabad district of Telangana on Thursday convicted three men of raping and murdering a Dalit woman and sentenced them to death.

The court which was designated as the special court for speedy trial in the case pronounced its verdict after finding the three accused guilty under relevant sections of the IPC, Additional Public Prosecutor M Ramana Reddy said.

MG Priyadarshini, district Principal Judge and in-charge of the fast court, heard the versions of the public prosecutor and defence. The trial began on December 1 and ended on December 30. It examined 44 witnesses, including the charge-sheet filed by the investigating officials.

On November 25, 2019, the body of the 30-year old Scheduled Caste woman with throat slit and stab marks was found in Lingapur mandal of the district a day after the offence. Subsequently, three men were arrested on November 27 for allegedly raping and murdering her and were remanded to judicial custody. Shaikh Babu, Shaikh Shaboddin and Shaikh Mukdum, daily wage labourers, were arrested for the crime.