Coimbatore court sentences man to death in double murder case

COIMBATORE: A court in Coimbatore on Wednesday sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for murdering two women at Anaimalai in 2012.

Additional district and sessions judge G Vijaya also sentenced the man, M Rajiv Gandhi, to life imprisonment for attempt to murder and three years' imprisonment for criminal intimidation.

Rajiv, a resident of Anaimalai, was sentenced to life imprisonment when he was 17 years old for murdering a man named Kanakaraj in 2005. He appealed to the high court and the sentence was commuted to seven years imprisonment. He came out of jail in February 2012.

After coming out of jail, Rajiv began to develop a two-cent poromboke land that he shared with his neighbour N Murugan, who was a witness in the Kanakaraj murder case.

When Murugan protested, Rajiv threatened to kill him.

On February 11, 2012, when Murugan's wife and daughters went to a nearby farm to answer the call of nature, Rajiv and his accomplice Jothimani attacked them.

"Murugan's wife, M Palaniammal, 55, and daughter, Jothimani M, 31, died on the spot. His other daughter, Mahudeeshwari, 28, survived the attack," said a police officer.

Rajiv was arrested 15 days later and case was registered under sections 302 (Murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation).

Rajiv's accomplice Jothimani (a male) died a year ago during the course of trial.

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