Today, On 20th May, the Kerala High Court upheld the death sentence for the convicted individual, in the 2016 case of the rape and murder of a Dalit law student, This decision reaffirms the lower court’s verdict, reflecting the severity of the crime. The case sparked widespread outrage and highlighted issues of caste-based violence and women’s safety in India.
Kerala: The Kerala High Court upheld the conviction and death penalty of Muhammed Ameer-ul-Islam, the sole accused in the rape and murder of a Dalit law student named Jisha. The verdict, delivered by a division bench consisting of Justices PB Suresh Kumar and S Manu.
Jisha, a student at the Ernakulam Government Law College, found brutally murdered in her house in Perumbavoor on April 28, 2016. The incident sparked widespread public outrage, and the case took on a caste-based dimension as Jisha’s family expressed grievances about alleged mistreatment by their neighbours.
Ameerul, a migrant worker from Assam, eventually identified as the prime suspect in the crime. He accused of breaking into Jisha’s house while intoxicated the night before and committing the heinous act.
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In December 2017, the Ernakulam Sessions Court found Ameerul guilty of all the charges against him, except for those under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (related to causing disappearance of evidence) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 2015.
Ameerul sentenced to death by the Sessions Court, along with four terms of rigorous imprisonment that were to be served concurrently. Afterward, Ameerul filed an appeal before the High Court to challenge his conviction and sentence. He also requested a reinvestigation by a central agency.
Today, the Court issued its verdict on both the appeal and the death sentence reference made by the State.
Regarding the latter, the High Court appointed two mitigation investigators associated with Project 39A, a research and legal aid center at the National Law University in Delhi, to assist the court in the sentencing process. This was one of the initial instances where a High Court ordered mitigation studies before hearing an appeal.
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Ameerul represented by Senior Advocate Sasthamangalam S Ajithkumar, along with advocates Rayjith Mark, Sreejith S Nair, VS Thoshin, PA Meera, EA Haris, and Satheesh Mohanan.
Special Public Prosecutor NK Unnikrishnan appeared on behalf of the State.
Advocates Mitha Sudhindran and Saipooja assisted the Court as amici curiae in conducting the death sentence mitigation studies.