The Kerala High Court on Monday, May 20, confirmed death sentence for Muhammed Ameer-Ul Islam, who was found guilty of brutally raping and murdering a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor of Ernakulam district in 2016. The death penalty was confirmed by a two-judge bench comprising Justice PM Suresh Kumar and Justice S Manu.
In December 2017, after nearly 20 months of the murder, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court had found Ameer-Ul Islam guilty of the crime under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and sentenced him to capital punishment. Ameer was convicted under sections 449 (trespass), 342 (wrongful confinement), 302 ( murder) and 376 (rape) and Section 376 A (causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim) of the Indian Penal Code.
The victim, a 30 year old Dalit law student from Perumbavoor in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, was sexually assaulted and murdered at her house in Kuruppampady on April 28, 2016. She was also subjected to mutilation by stabbing in several parts of her body.
The prosecution said that Ameer, under the influence of alcohol, had trespassed into her house and attempted to sexually assault her. When she resisted, he attacked her and killed her, causing grievous injuries.
In June 2016, the police made their biggest breakthrough in the case with the arrest of Ameerul. After a detailed investigation, the police submitted a 1500-page chargesheet naming a single accused, Ameer-Ul Islam. The trial in the case began in April 2017, during which the prosecution presented 195 witnesses and a number of documents including DNA reports.