Saturday, March 12, 2016

MOB VIOLENCE - Bus burning case: Victims' kin upset with court verdict

TIMES OF INDIA

NAAKKAL/SALEM: The Supreme Court judgement commuting the death sentence of three convicts, who had torched a bus and burnt to death three college students 16 years ago, into life imprisonment on Friday, has left the kin of the deceased disappointed.

The apex court has said that the incident was triggered by mob frenzy and was not premeditated. "The same Supreme Court said in its previous judgement that the offence is extremely brutal, diabolical, grotesque and cruel. But now the [threejudge] bench has stated that the convicts did not know the victims and their crime did not deserve death penalty. This is purely ridiculous," said NP Veerasamy, father of Kokilavani, one of the deceased. "The judges will understand my pain only if they have lost a child in a riot," he added. After discussing the matter with his advocates, he plans to approach the Supreme Court at the earliest.

Poomozhi, president of Tamil Nadu Makkal Urimai Katchi, said the verdict would provide new opportunities to criminals.

"The Supreme Court said in its judgement that the convicts had no personal animosity towards their victims. Advocates may now try to commute the death penalty into a reduced sentence, based on this reasoning," he said.

On February 2, 2000, a TNAU bus carrying 44 students and 2 teachers was blocked and torched by a mob unhappy with the special court verdict in the Pleasant Stay case.Three students, Kokilavani, Gayathri and Hemalatha died in the incident.

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