In a significant development, the Thalassery Additional District Court (One) has pronounced the lone accused in the 2022 Vishnupriya murder case guilty of the crime. The verdict, awaited with bated breath, is slated to be announced by Additional District Court Judge AV Mridula.
The accused, Shyamjith, faces charges under sections 449 (House-trespass in order to commit offence) and 302 (Murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for Shyamjith, although the possibility of capital punishment looms.
The heinous crime occurred on October 22, 2022, when Shyamjith entered the home of 23-year-old Vishnupriya, a pharmacist, and brutally stabbed her to death after she rejected his marriage proposal. Vishnupriya sustained grievous injuries to her hands and throat in the tragic incident.
The trial, which commenced on September 21, 2023, saw the defence presenting its arguments before the Thalassery Additional District Court judge. A total of 73 witnesses were called upon to testify in the case.
Inspector M P Azad of Panoor led the investigation and submitted the chargesheet, revealing that Vishnupriya’s decision to end her relationship with Shyamjith had provoked the fatal attack.
Tragically, Vishnupriya’s mother discovered her daughter’s lifeless body, soaked in blood, after she failed to respond to calls and did not arrive at the relative’s house as expected.
Following his arrest, Shyamjith displayed a chilling lack of remorse, nonchalantly contemplating the duration of his potential sentence. His callous remark, “A life sentence is only 14 years, isn’t it? I’ll only be 39 years old when I finish my sentence,” underscores the gravity of the crime and the need for justice to be served swiftly and decisively.