Chamarajanagar : Here is a case wherein a curious piece of evidence, a piece of flesh helped the prosecution to ensure death penalty to two rapists. This indeed gains relevance particularly at a time when many a rapist go unpunished for want of evidences.
The reference is to the case of rape and murder of a young woman which took place almost 12 years ago and the confirmation of death sentence to the two rapists after the President rejected their mercy petition recently.
It was on December 15, 2001 that Shivamma of Bhadrayyanahalli, who had been to work in a small farm of her family was raped and killed by Jadeswamy and Shivu, just 15 days ahead of her marriage.
When Shivamma did not return home from the farm, her mother grew suspicious and began searching for her, only to find her daughter’s body. A case of rape and murder was registered at Ramapura police station. If Shivu was a bachelor, the other accused Jadeswamy was married just 20 days before the incident.
Interestingly, Shivamma had bitten one of the two guilty in the case and a piece of his flesh which had got stuck in her teeth proved to be the major evidence in this case.
The doctors who found the flesh while autopsy sent it to a DNA analysis which confirmed that it was that of Shivu. Two women of the village who had also seen the inhumane act were the prime witnesses.
After a lengthy investigation and testimony of prime witnesses, the then district sessions judge S D Paramraj sentenced the duo to death on July 30, 2005.Later, in November 2005 the two moved the High Court, which upheld the decision of the sessions court. Even the Supreme Court upheld the decision in 2007.
However, Shivu’s mother, Chellamma on February 28, 2007 appealed to the President to grant pardon to Shivu, which was recently turned down by President Pranab Mukherjee.