Thiruvananthapuram: Terming it as 'rarest of the rare' case, the Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions court sentenced Nino Mathew, the first accused in the infamous Attingal double-muder, to death penalty on Monday.
His partner-in-crime Anushanthi was sentenced to double life imprisonment. Both the life terms will run concurrently.
Both the accused also have to pay a fine of Rs 50 lakh.
They committed the crime to quench thirst for sex: court
Also read:#Attingal double murder: 10 unanswered questions
The accused, Anushanthi and her paramour Nino Mathew, both software engineers working with an IT company in Technopark, were found guilty by Principal Sessions judge V. Shersy last Friday of killing Anushanti's four-year-old daughter and mother-in-law and attempting to murder her husband on April 16, 2014.
Court on Anushanthi, Nino
While pronouncing the verdict, the court termed Anushanthi as an 'insult to motherhood'. She was not accorded death sentence considering that she was not directly involved in the crime, her health condition and that she is a woman, the court stated in its verdict.
The court also said Nino was cruel in committing the murder of a girl who is younger than his own child.
From the fine amount of Rs 1 crore, Rs 50 lakh will go to Lijeesh and the rest will be given to his father.
"The evidence were collected and anlysed scientifically and it proved the crime beyond doubt," the court said.
Both the convicts listened to the verdict in silence.
M. Anilkumar, circle Inspector, who led the investigation was appreciated by the judge.
Anushanthi's husband Lijeesh said he was satisfied with the court verdict.
'Did not conspire to kill my child'
During the trial, the prosecution held that the case was 'rarest of the rare' and the accused should be awarded maximum punishment, the duo claimed that they were innocent.
Convict Nino Mathew had told the court that he did not commit the crime and had requested the court to give him minimum punishment.
Anushanthi, the other convict, had said she was ready to accept any punishment and told the court that she did not conspire to murder her daughter.
"Don't term me as a mother who killed her own baby," Anushanthi had reportedly said at the court last Friday.
Terming the murder as a rarest of the rare case, the prosecution had sought death penalty for both the convicts.
Brutal murder of April 16, 2014
A retired government officer Vijayamma (57) and her son Lijeesh's daughter Swastika (4) were found murdered at their home on April 16, 2014. Nino is accused of attacking and killing the duo at their home. Nino Mathew, after committing the twin murders, had waited for nearly half an hour at the crime spot for Anushanthi's husband Lijeesh, who was not at home at the time of the incident.
Nino attacked Lijeesh, but the latter managed to run out of the house and alerted neighbours, leading to Nino's arrest, police said.
The police case was that an extra-martial affair between Anushanthi and her colleague led to the gruesome murder. The couple wanted to eliminate Anushanthi's child and her husband and lead a life together.
Lijeesh's crucial statement
Lijeesh, who survived the murder attempt, had told reporters that the two should get the highest punishment.
Lijeesh's statement identifying the accused was the crucial evidence in the case.
41 witnesses, 85 documents
Public Prosecutor Vineet Kumar had said that the accused were found guilty under Section 120B (conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 449 (criminal trespassing), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 380 (theft) of IPC and 67A of the IT Act.
Forty nine witnesses were examined and 85 documents were used as evidence, besides 41 material evidence.
The court also took cognisance of digital evidence and proof produced by forensic science laboratory.
Video clippings seized from the laptop of the accused were also accepted as evidence by the court.
Police had seized the tools used for the murder and bloodstained clothes during a raid at Mathew's house.
(With inputs from agencies)
