Law Student Jisha Murder: Kerala High Court upholds death sentence of convict

The Kerala High Court on Monday upheld the conviction and death penalty awarded to Muhammed Ameer-ul-Islam, the lone accused in the rape and murder of a Dalit law student Jisha [Muhammed Ameer-ul-Islam v. State of Kerala].A division bench of Justices PB Suresh Kumar and S Manu passed the order today..On the morning of April 28, 2016, the mutilated corpse of Jisha who was a student at the Ernakulam Government Law College, was found in her house at Perumbavoor. The incident provoked mass outrage. The case also acquired a casteist undertone, as Jisha’s family lamented their apparent ill-treatment by neighbours in the area.Ameerul, a migrant worker from Assam, was eventually hauled up and accused of having committed the crime after he broke into Jisha’s house in a drunken stupor the night before. .In December 2017, the Ernakulam Sessions Court found Ameerul guilty of all offences charged against him, save for those under Section 201 of the IPC (causing disappearance of evidence) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015.The Sessions Court sentenced him to death and also imposed four terms of rigorous imprisonment which were to run concurrently. .Subsequently, Ameerul moved an appeal before the High Court challenging his conviction and sentence. He also sought a re-investigation by a central agency.The Court today delivered its verdict on this appeal as well as the death sentence reference preferred by the State. While considering the latter, the High Court had appointed two mitigation investigators associated with Project 39A, a research and legal aid centre at the National Law University, Delhi to assist the court with the process of sentencing. It was one of the first instances of a High Court ordering mitigation studies before hearing the appeal..Ameerul was represented by Senior Advocate Sasthamangalam S Ajithkumar and advocates Rayjith Mark, Sreejith S Nair, VS Thoshin, PA Meera, EA Haris, and Satheesh Mohanan. Special Public Prosecutor NK Unnikrishnan appeared for the State.Advocates Mitha Sudhindran and Saipooja assisted the Court with the death sentence mitigation studies as amici curiae.Story to be updated with judgment.