Will Soumya get justice? SC to pronounce verdict on Govindachamy's appeal today

New Delhi: Kerala is anxiously looking at the Supreme Court which will today pronounce its verdict on an appeal by death row convict Govindachamy in the Soumya murder case that shocked the conscience of the state.

The court is expected to give out the verdict by 10.30 am.

Expressing hope that her late daughter will get justice, Soumya's mother Sumathi told Manorama News that she is praying to get a favorable verdict in the top court.

The Kerala High Court had in 2013 confirmed the death sentence awarded to Govindachamy by a Thrissur fast track court for brutally raping and murdering Soumya, a 23-year-old woman, after pushing her out of a moving train on February 1, 2011.

Govindachamy then moved the Supreme Court against the death penalty and in a surprising development, the top court recently slammed the prosecution for not presenting enough evidence against Govindachamy, the death row convict in the case.

'Evidence to prove that Soumya was pushed off the train'

The prosecution should convince the bench that the accused had indeed committed the murder, the court had said and added that there was no place for guesswork in the court.

The top court also asked for evidence to prove the charge that Govindachamy pushed Soumya off the train to the railway tracks.

The prosecution had then failed to give a satisfactory explanation to the court.

However, the apex court stated that it is proven before the bench that Soumya was raped.

Advocate B.A. Aloor, who represented Govindachamy in the fast track court and the Kerala High Court, is appearing for the convict in the Supreme Court as well.

The convict's stance is that he has no connection with the incident and that he was trapped in the case.

The prosecution case was that Gonvidachamy had pushed Soumya out of the compartment of the Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train on Feb. 1 after trying to rob her. He then raped the seriously injured woman, who died on Feb. 6, 2011.

The women's compartment did not have any police guard when the crime took place.

The prosecution had also pointed out that Govindachamy, a native of Tamil Nadu, had already been convicted in eight cases in that state.

Soumya was allegedly thrown off the moving train by Govindachamy, who also jumped off. He then allegedly hit her head with a stone and raped her.

Later, she was found in an unconscious state near the track at Vettikkattiri near Cheruthururthy at 9.30 pm, after a guard informed the Railway Police about seeing saw someone falling off a moving train. Soumya breathed her last Feb 6.