Soumya rape and murder case: SC commutes convict's death sentence to 7 years

The Supreme Court set aside the death sentence given to Govindachamy — the convict in the Soumya rape and murder case  —  and reduced it to seven-year jail term on Thursday. The convict, who was held guilty of rape, was given death sentence by the lower courts.

SC set aside death sentence given to convicted Govindachamy in Soumya murder case however held him guilty of rape.

— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2016

According to CNN-News 18, the apex court held him guilty of rape, but dropped the murder charges. On 1 February, 2011, 24-year-old Soumya from Kochi, was raped and pushed out of a running passenger train by Govindachamy. She was on her way to Ernakulam then. A fast track court in Thrissur had given death sentence to the accused in 2012, according the CNN-News 18 report.

Soumya was brutally assaulted and pushed off the train by the accused. The accused also jumped off the train and raped her, on Feb 1, 2011.

— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2016

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Govindachamy from Virudhachalam in Tamil Nadu had assaulted Soumya on the running train. When she put up a fight, he pushed her out of the moving train. Govindachamy too jumped out of the train and then raped her while she was lying injured near the railway track. Later, Soumya was found lying unconscious. She succumbed to her injuries on 6 February. The convict is a ‘habitual offender’ and had been convicted in eight cases in Tamil Nadu between 2004 and 2008.