(Image Credit: Daily Thanthi)
On 14 June 2024, the Madras High Court overturned the conviction and death sentence handed down by a trial court to seven individuals, as well as the life sentence given to two others, in relation to the high-profile 2013 murder of neurosurgeon SD Subbiah near Billroth Hospital in Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Ramesh and Sunder Mohan granted acquittal to the nine appellants, including P Ponnusamy, his wife Mary Pushpam, their sons P Basil and P Boris, and others like B William, H Yesurajan, J James Sathish Kumar, E Murugan, and S Selva Prakash from all charges.
The Bench directed the immediate release of the appellants from prison unless their presence was required for any other legal proceedings. Any fines paid by them during the course of the appeal process were ordered to be refunded. These appeals were filed against the convictions and life sentence imposed by a Chennai sessions court on 5 August 2021, against Pushpam and Yesurajan, and the death sentence handed to the others, all accused of murdering the neurosurgeon over a property dispute.
As per the prosecution, the neurosurgeon was assaulted by a three-member gang while he was about to enter his car parked by the roadside in R.A. Puram, Chennai, around 5 pm on 14 September 2013. He sustained multiple injuries and passed away on 23 September 2013. Following his demise, the police modified the charges in the First Information Report (FIR) from Section 307 (attempt to murder) to Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and apprehended 10 individuals. Among them, the 10th accused, P Iyappan, became an approver and was granted a pardon.
The remaining accused were subjected to trial based on the testimony of an individual who claimed to have witnessed the incident while retrieving an old air-conditioner from a nearby house in R.A. Puram. However, this witness did not inform the police until two days after the incident. After extensive investigation, the police concluded that Ponnusamy and his family had hired the gang to eliminate the neurosurgeon due to a property dispute.
2013ம் ஆண்டு கூலிப்படையால் வெட்டி கொலை செய்யப்பட்ட மருத்துவர் சுப்பையா.. மேல்முறையீட்டு வழக்கில் 7 பேரின் தூக்கு தண்டனை, 2 பேரின் ஆயுள் தண்டனையை ரத்து செய்து அனைவரையும் விடுதலை செய்த உயர்நீதிமன்றம்.. குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்கள் தரப்பில் வைக்கப்பட்ட வாதம் என்ன?.. வழக்கறிஞர் பேட்டி..… pic.twitter.com/yrKR4wuxVa
— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 14, 2024
(with inputs from The Hindu)
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