After a year-long wait, Jisha’s mother and sister got what they had been hoping for. On Thursday, an Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court awarded the death penalty to 24-year-old Ameerul Islam for raping and murdering Jisha, a Dalit law student.
After the sentencing was pronounced on Thursday morning, it was an emotional moment for Jisha’s family.
Her voice choking with emotion, Jisha’s mother, Rajeshwari, told media persons, “No other mother in this world should go through this. If something like this happens in the future, they should be given capital punishment.”
“We see the judge as god. I would like to thank everyone on the behalf of the aatma of my daughter,” she added.
Meanwhile, Jisha’s sister Deepa recounted how they had been in pain for over a year, awaiting the verdict on Jisha’s rapist and killer. “For the last one and a half years, we have been running behind this. I was very sad when I entered the court today. We have not slept for days, we have been very upset,” she said.
“I have wished for the death sentence for the long time now,” Deepa said, “The verdict is in our favour.”
Thanking everyone who worked on the case, Deepa added emotionally, “I know my sister won’t come back. I will be happy to see his (Ameerul) corpse come out of the prison.”
On Tuesday, the court found Ameerul guilty of all charges except for destruction of evidence, and violations under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. It said that the charges under Sections 449 (trespass), 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (rape), 376 (a) (causing death/resulting in persistent vegetative state) and 302 (murder) had been proved.
On Thursday, Ameerul was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 under Sec 449 (house-trespass), one year in prison and Rs 1,000 fine under Section 342 (wrongful confinement), 10 years imprisonment and Rs 15,000 fine under Section 376 (rape), life imprisonment and Rs 25,000 fine under Section 376 (a) (causing death/resulting in persistent vegetative state) and the death penalty and a fine of Rs 25,000 under Section 302 (Murder).
Background
Jisha, a 30-year-old Dalit law student from Perumbavoor in Ernakulam, was raped and murdered in her home on April 28, 2016.
Shocked by the violence of the crime, people from across the state launched protests demanding justice for the young woman. That it had occurred to a Dalit woman struggling with poor conditions of life, and within her own home drove the anger further.
The police investigation into the crime took many twists and turns, with investigative teams being changed as pressure for a breakthrough in the case grew. On June 16, 49 days after Jisha was found dead, the police arrested Ameerul Islam – a migrant worker from Assam – from Kanchipuram in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. It was a black rubber slipper found near the scene of the crime that led the police to Ameerul.
On September 17 last year, the police submitted a 1,500-page chargesheet, in which Ameerul was named as the sole accused. Ameerul was charged under several sections of the IPC as well as under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
The trial, which began on April 4 this year, ran for 85 days. It was mainly based on material and scientific evidence, including DNA samples recovered from the scene of the crime. While the prosecution argued that it had clinching evidence in the case, Ameerul’s lawyer BA Aloor argued that the migrant worker was being framed. He pointed to a Vigilance report citing lapses in the investigation to support her claims.
On Tuesday, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court held Ameerul guilty of sexually assaulting and murdering Jisha.