Vijayawada, September, 30 : The prime accused in B. Pharm student Ayesha Meera’s murder case, P. Satyambabu, was given life imprisonment. “He is innocent and has been implicated in the case,” said Satyambabu’s mother Mariyamma, who fainted after hearing the verdict.
Several hundred activists of Dalit organisations and representatives of civil society associations also gathered at the court premises and shouted slogans against the judgment terming it flawed. Satyambabu was brought to the court in a wheel chair in the morning amidst tight security.
The 23-year-old is suffering from GB Syndrome, which has paralysed his legs and affected his nervous system. He is being treated in NIMS, Hyderabad, for the last one year. Earlier, the additional public prosecutor, Ms G. Uma, said the convict deserved the capital punishment since he raped the girl after the murder.
The judge, who pronounced the youth guilty, took a three hour break before announcing the sentence. Satyambabu was picked up by the police on August 17, 2008, in Anasagaram village of Nandigama mandal for stealing mobile phones. The police claimed that during the course of interrogation, he confessed to murdering Ayesha Meera.
Sleuths collected fingerprints, DNA samples, papers with the handwriting of Satyambabu and circumstantial evidence and produced it in the court. More than 34 witnesses were examined. Ibrahimpatnam police had earlier arrested one Gurvinder Singh alias Laddu of Vijayawada suspecting his involvement in the murder. However, police later dropped the case against him because of the hue and cry raised by civil society organisations.
“Today’s verdict has pained the mother of Ayesha Meera as well as the mother of Satyambabu,” said the advocate, Ms V.V.N. Rajya Lakshmi. “Such verdicts will damage the credibility of the judiciary.” She added that the forensic report in the case was issued by an official who was caught by the anti-corruption bureau while accepting bribe in Hyderabad very recently.
“Police presented fabricated evidence to punish the innocent and save the culprits,” she said. The defence lawyer, Mr P Srinivas, said he would appeal in the High Court against the judgment.
Meanwhile, representatives of Mala Mahanadu, OPDR, Sree Vimukthi, PDSU, PDSO, Mala Sankshema Sangham, Rytu Coolie Sangham and Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samaakhya present at the court premises shouted slogans criticising the verdict. A Dalit activist B. Rama Prasad also climbed the gate of the court main gate and closed it to express his protest. “A poor Dalit has been implicated in the case while the real culprits have escaped,” he said.
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