Supreme Court of India. Supreme Court of India.

The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the death sentence given to Govindachamy, a convict in the murder of Soumya, a 23-year-old woman, who was brutally assaulted and pushed off the train. The apex court, however, has held him guilty of rape. Govindachamy’s death sentence has been reduce to a life-term.

In January 2014, the Kerala High Court upheld the death sentence granted to him by a Thrissur Fast-track court.

On February, 1, 2011, Soumya, an employee of a shopping mall in Kochi, was travelling home in an almost empty woman’s coach of a passenger train. Govindachamy molested her and later pushed her out of a train, and also jumped off. Govindachamy then walked towards her and raped her. Soumya was from Ernakulam to Shornur. Soumya succumbed to injuries on February 6 at a government hospital.

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