Seven get death penalty for murder of Dr Subbiah outside Chennai's Billroth Hospitals

CHENNAI: A city trial court on Wednesday awarded capital punishment to seven people accused of the sensational murder of neurologist Dr SD Subbiah outside Billroth Hospitals in RA Puram on September 14, 2013. The court also sentenced two others to life imprisonment. One of the accused who turned approver and became a prosecution witness during the trial was allowed to go free.

Dr Subbiah was murdered due to a property dispute over a 2.4-acre plot of land in his native village of Anjugramam in Kanyakumari district.

The doctor was brutally attacked outside the hospital in RA Puram by three persons and died nine days later. Images of the brutal attack were captured on CCTV cameras installed at a nearby apartment complex and widely circulated in the media.

Special Public Prosecutor N Vijayaraj in his final arguments said that all the accused were directly involved and plotted to murder the doctor. He further stressed before the court that capital punishment be awarded to all the accused in the case.

On completion of the trial, the sessions judge on Wednesday sentenced Ponnusamy, Basil, Boris, William, James Satish Kumar, Murugan and Selva Prakash to double capital punishment for offences under Sections 302 and 120B of IPC. All terms are to run concurrently.

The other two accused, Mary Pushpam and Yesurajan, have been sentenced to double life terms.

Iyyappan who turned approver was considered a prosecution witness and released without any punishment.