A Pocso court in Tamil Nadu awarded a double death sentence to a 38-year-old man for raping and murdering a 17-year-old girl. The conviction came within 75 days of the crime after police used DNA evidence, CCTV footage from a windmill farm and phone tracking to solve the case. Investigators also traced a stolen bike used by accused during crime.
A special Pocso court in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district has awarded a double death sentence to a 38-year-old man for the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl. The verdict came just 75 days after the crime shocked the state. The court relied heavily on scientific evidence, including DNA reports and CCTV footage captured near a windmill farm, to convict the accused, identified as Dharmamuneeswaran, according to a report by the Times of India.
The judgment was delivered by Sessions Judge M Breetha on Monday after a fast-paced trial that concluded within eight weeks.
Girl Was Attacked After Leaving Home
According to investigators, the teenage girl had stepped out of her house in Vedanatham village on the evening of March 10 to answer nature’s call when she was attacked.
Related Articles
Police said Dharmamuneeswaran intercepted the girl, raped her and later murdered her before fleeing the area.
The case initially appeared difficult to solve as there were no direct witnesses or immediate clues linking anyone to the crime.
Windmill CCTV Became Major Breakthrough
Investigators later found a key lead through CCTV footage from a camera installed near a windmill farm close to the crime scene. Police analysed nearly 1,000 hours of footage collected from different locations between Vedanatham village and Tuticorin town. The footage showed the accused entering the village on a motorcycle around 2.30 pm on March 10 and leaving the next morning around 6.30 am.
Officials identified him through a checked shirt visible in the footage and tracked his movements further towards Tuticorin.
Police also found that the accused had switched off his mobile phone after entering the village. The phone became active again in Tuticorin shortly after he was seen leaving in the CCTV footage, helping police establish a timeline of events.
DNA Evidence Strengthened the Case
Forensic evidence played a major role in securing the conviction. According to police, blood samples found on the shirt worn by the accused matched the victim’s blood group. Semen samples collected during the post-mortem examination were also matched to the accused through DNA testing, the TOI report added.
Inspector General of Police Vijayendra S Bidari said the investigation was solved mainly through scientific evidence.
He described the DNA match as the “clinching proof” that helped police crack what was initially considered a blind case.
Stolen Bike and Previous Criminal History
Investigators also tracked the motorcycle used by the accused during the crime. Police said Dharmamuneeswaran had stolen the bike from Ramanathapuram district and later changed its number plate to avoid being caught.
Officials claimed the accused had visited the village several times earlier and had studied entry and exit routes before carrying out the crime.
Police records showed that the accused had earlier received a life sentence in a similar case, though the punishment had later been suspended by a local court.
The chargesheet in the case was filed within 21 days, while the trial began on May 5. A total of 17 witnesses were examined during the proceedings.
Special Public Prosecutor V Ellammal Kissinger said the court considered the accused’s criminal background before awarding the double death sentence.
