Jisha rape, murder case: Assamese native Ameerul Islam convicted

Kerala: The Ernakulam Sessions Court on Tuesday found accused Ameerul Islam guilty in the Jisha rape and murder case.

Assamese native Ameerul Islam is the lone accused in the case in which the prosecution relied on circumstantial and material evidence in the absence of direct ones.

In April 2016, Dalit woman Jisha (30) was found naked in a pool of blood by her mother at their house at Vattolipadi, Iringolkkara, in Perumbavoor. The body was found battered with bruises from sharp objects with her intestines pulled out.

None of the neighbours had any clue about the murder or had not even heard her screaming.

Ameerul Islam, who according to police, entered the woman's house with the intention of raping her but killed her with a sharp object when she resisted; was arrested after 50 days from when the body was recovered.

The accused was a daily wage labourer and used to go to the work site by the road alongside the victim’s house.

Ameerul, has been charged with rape, murder, under the Dalit Atrocities Prevention Act.

According to police, several witnesses had seen him near the victim’s house on that day. Besides the door frame in the backyard of the house, police also recovered the DNA of the accused from the nail clip and churidar of the victim. They also found matching DNA from the slippers used by the accused.

The court trial lasted 85 days since the hearing began on April 4 this year.  The prosecution examined 100 witnesses, including 15 migrant labourers and presented 290 documents and 36 material pieces of evidence.    

The Left Democratic Front (Kerala) government, after assuming power on May 25, 2016, changed the investigation team in its first cabinet meeting itself.