Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Dec 2: The attempted rape and murder case of young Soumya that rocked Bantwal in February 2013 came to its logical conclusion on Tuesday December 2, with the accused being held guilty by the sixth additional district and sessions court, which is also the special court for sexual assault cases.
Satish (25), who was found guilty of murdering Soumya (22) in Baltila village, Kalladka in Bantwal on February 24, 2013, had been arrested soon after the incident came to light the next morning.
Judge Pushpanjali Devi convicted Satish under IPC sections 302, 376, 511, 392 and 201, for murder, attempt to rape and destruction of evidence.
Statements by 26 witnesses, medical reports and findings from police investigation were taken into consideration, after which the judge pronounced Satish as guilty.
The quantum of punishment is likely to be pronounced on December 5.
The public prosecutor urged the judge to award life sentence until death to Satish, contending that he would be a menace to society if let off easily. He pointed out that a year before Soumya's death, Satish had attempted to molest her and also had tried to molest another child.
Soumya was the support of her poor family. She left behind her parents and four siblings Maithri (18), Lohith (15) and Asha (12). Her father was a drummer with a brass band at the time of her death and the entire family lived in a shanty. After daijiworld published an appeal for help, readers poured their contributions generously to help the family. Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat too had come forward to help them.
Soumya, having completed D Ed course, had got a job in Manipal 15 days before her death, and was residing in her aunt's place at Udupi. On February 24, 2013, she had come to her hometown to collect documents to apply for a government teacher's post. However, while she was walking towards her home, she was forcibly dragged and taken towards a pond in an isolated spot, where her body was found later.
When Soumya did not reach home, her mother asked her other daughter Maithri to call Soumya on her phone. A neighbour, Vidya, who had spotted Soumya's phone lying on the road and kept it safely, answered the call. Immediately, a search was launched for Soumya. Her footwear, watch, churidar shawl and a man's scarf were found lying along the way to the pond, and the body was soon recovered. Injury marks were found on the body indicating that she had been murdered. Her gold chain was missing.
During preliminary investigations itself it was revealed that Satish had been seen returning from that same spot. A woman identified as Lucy Sequeira, a volunteer for polio drops campaign, had heard the girl's screams and rushed to the spot, and seen Satish. She had then informed the same to another woman by name Devaki. A man identified as P S Mohan also saw him climb out of the pond and go over a hill.
A person by name Monappa Poojary, who deposed before the court as witness, said that he had heard the girl's screams and seen Satish in wet clothes.
A police team was formed and Satish was arrested from Baltila bus stop. It has also been revealed that Saitsh was waiting for Soumya at the bus stop when she arrived from Udupi that afternoon.
After his arrest, Satish admitted to have killed Soumya by strangling her. The stolen chain was recovered from his house.
It was not the first time that Satish had attacked her. Two years ago, he tried to molest her, and when Soumya complained to her parents, they had warned him. He had promised he would not do it again, and hence no complaint was filed. In another instance, a case was filed against him in Kalladka police station for allegedly molesting a primary school girl.
Incidentally, this is the fourth case being heard in the special court for sexual crimes, and in all four cases, the accused have been found guilty.
Case Recall: