Man found guilty of murdering woman who resisted rape attempt

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A local court here has found a 35-year-old Kadakkavoor native guilty of murdering a homemaker who resisted his rape attempt. Additional Sessions Judge K N Ajithkumar declared Manikandan guilty for murdering the woman, a widow, at her house near Kadakkavoor in 2016. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Monday. Public prosecutor M Salahudeen successfully argued that Manikandan had tried to rape the woman who stayed alone. When she resisted, he fatally stabbed her on the chest and stomach. 

Manikandan, who lived in the neighbourhood, had gone to the house at 9pm on the pretext of drinking water. He then tried to force himself on the woman. She resisted and in the melee, he stabbed her. Seriously wounded, the victim ran to her neighbour’s house. Though the residents rushed her to the Chirayinkeezhu taluk hospital, she could not be saved. Manikandan was taken into custody on the third day of the murder. He confessed. The police then recovered the dress he was wearing at the time of the crime and a forensic examination found that the blood on it belonged to the victim. G B Mukesh, then Chirayinkeezhu inspector, investigated the crime.

Since there were no eyewitnesses, the prosecution relied entirely on circumstantial and forensic evidence. Manikandan is also accused of murdering a man three days before the Kadakkavoor incident and the trial is on. In the Kadakkavoor case trial, the prosecution had urged the court not to release Manikandan on bail as he could destroy evidence. Manikandan has been in judicial custody since December 2016. During the trial, the prosecution produced 32 witnesses to prove him guilty.