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The convict in the brutal rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in Thoothukudi was sentenced to death by a special court on Monday, May 25. The court convicted 38-year-old Dharma Muneeswaran on two counts.
The case was tried before the special court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases and was presided over by II Additional District Judge M Breetha.
The case pertains to the murder of a Class XII student who went missing on March 10 and was found dead the following day near her residence in Thoothukudi. Police registered a case under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.
Dharma Muneeswaran, who is from Ramanathapuram district, was previously convicted in a rape and murder case in 2020. He committed the rape and murder of the Thoothukudi teen when he was out on bail after the High Court suspended his sentence in December 2025.
On April 2, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court directed the trial court to fast-track proceedings. At the time, the bench had asked the state to appoint a special public prosecutor with expertise in handling such cases within a week. It had also told the investigating officer to file a supplementary chargesheet within 15 days.
A division bench comprising Justices N Sathish Kumar and M Jothiraman had also ordered the state government to pay an additional interim compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family, beyond the Rs 5 lakh already disbursed. The April 2 directions came while disposing of a public interest litigation filed by advocate K Mareeshwari, who had sought a CBI probe, enhanced compensation, and a court-monitored investigation into the case.