Chennai: The Madras High Court on Monday acquitted the prime accused and modified the death sentence awarded to five others to life imprisonment in 2016 honour killing of a 22-year-old man in full public view in Tirupur district in Tamil Nadu.
Passing orders on appeals, a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar acquitted B Chinnaswamy, father of Kausalya, whose husband Shankar was hacked to death in front of her in Udumalpet town and relieved him from all charges including that of criminal conspiracy.
The bench sentenced the five other accused to life imprisonment for a minimum of 25 years without any right to remission.
Chinnaswamy and the others had been sentenced to death by a lower court in connection with the horrific daylight killing which was caught on camera and evoked public outrage.
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The High Court also confirmed the acquittal of Kausalya's mother and two others.
The court also ordered the release of all those acquitted who are presently under incarceration if their custody is not required in connection with any other case.
Will not rest until parents are punished: Kausalya
Terming as 'injustice' the acquittal of her father, Kausalya said she would not rest till her parents are punished. "Verdict is injustice and not justice to the killing of Shankar. It is shocking and disappointing," she said.
"There was a lot of difference in the approach with me when the case was going on in Tirupur Court and High Court," she alleged.
"However, I have not lost confidence in the Judiciary and my legal battle will continue," she said and expressed hope that the State government will move to Supreme Court and she would not hesitate to join the legal battle.
