Probe ordered into Soumya rapist Govindachamy’s source of income

The Vigilance Director and State Police Chief have been asked to submit a report in a month's time.
Probe ordered into Soumya rapist Govindachamy’s source of income
Probe ordered into Soumya rapist Govindachamy’s source of income
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The Kerala State Human Rights Commission on Friday ordered a probe into Soumya case convict Govindachamy's financial background. 

The commission's Judicial member P Mohana Das issued the order on the basis of a petition filed by human rights activist Tampi Subramanian. 

The Vigilance Director and State Police Chief have been asked to investigate and submit a report in a month's time. 

Tampi filed the petition on Thursday, stating that Govindachamy's financial background should be investigated. It also states that a detailed probe needs to be conducted on the people who visited Govindachamy in prison. 

The Supreme Court recently commuted Govindachamy’s death sentence for murder. The Court altered the murder charge to one of causing grievous injury and awarded seven years, while upholding the rape conviction and awarded life term for the offence.

The debate on Govindachamy's source of income resurfaced after the apex court commuted the sentence.

At the time of his arrest, Govindachamy was a one-armed beggar who had attacked Soumya on a train when she was heading to her hometown Shoranur in Palakkad district.

Several developments around the case in the run up to Govindachamy’s trial have caused many to question who exactly he was. One of these, is the involvement of Advocate BA Aloor. Aloor's declaration that he had been paid Rs 15 lakh to fight the case, and denial to reveal the source of the fee had also raised eyebrows. 

Twenty-three-year-old Soumya who worked as a salesgirl, was returning home by Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train on February 1, 2011. Govindachamy went to the ladies’ compartment where she was, robbed and attacked her. Soumya’s body was found in the forests near Vallathol railway station.

The prosecution’s case was that Govindachami pushed her off the train, then took her to the wooded area, and raped and murdered her. 

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