<p>Four years after the murder of Shankar, who belonged to Scheduled Caste, sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court on Monday acquitted the prime accused in the sensational case – his father-in-law B Chinnasamy – of all charges.</p>.<p>The division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar also commuted the death sentence of five others to 25 years in prison. The aforementioned five persons and Chinnasamy were awarded death sentence by a local court in Tiruppur that fast-tracked the case and delivered the verdict in just about 18 months.</p>.<p>Shankar, a Dalit man, and Gowsalya, who hails from dominant Thevar community, fell in love while studying at a private engineering college in Pollachi near Coimbatore. After they got married against the wishes of the girl’s parents, Shankar was hacked to death in front of Gowsalya in broad daylight in Udumalpet in Tiruppur district on March 13, 2016.</p>.<p>Gowsalya, who was also injured in the attack, mustered courage in the coming days and fought a brave battle to get her parents punished for the “grievous crime.” After losing her husband, Gowsalya transformed herself into an activist against “honour killing” and is a vocal campaigner for a law against caste killings in the country.</p>.<p>Gowsalya launched a trust and named it after Shankar and chose to live with her husband’s family till she married Shakti, a parai artiste, in December 2018.</p>.<p>As a result of her struggle, the Tiruppur court sentenced her father and five people who were hired by the latter, to death, while acquitting her mother and maternal uncle. </p>.<p>However, the six moved the Madras High Court seeking a review of the death sentence, while the state moved against the acquittal of Gowsalya's mother.</p>.<p>The Madras High Court while confirming the acquittal of Gowsalya’s mother, cleared the father also of all charges and ordered his release from the Coimbatore Central Prison. Only the five men who were hired to kill Shankar now face life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years in prison without any right for remission. </p>.<p>A visibly shaken Gowsalya told the media in a choked voice that she will appeal against the Madras High Court order in the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>“I respect the judiciary, but the Madras High Court verdict has come as a shock and disappointment to me…We will not rest until we get justice. My legal fight will continue as long as I am alive. And I will continue to fight till Shankar gets justice for his killing,” Gowsalya told journalists.</p>
<p>Four years after the murder of Shankar, who belonged to Scheduled Caste, sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court on Monday acquitted the prime accused in the sensational case – his father-in-law B Chinnasamy – of all charges.</p>.<p>The division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar also commuted the death sentence of five others to 25 years in prison. The aforementioned five persons and Chinnasamy were awarded death sentence by a local court in Tiruppur that fast-tracked the case and delivered the verdict in just about 18 months.</p>.<p>Shankar, a Dalit man, and Gowsalya, who hails from dominant Thevar community, fell in love while studying at a private engineering college in Pollachi near Coimbatore. After they got married against the wishes of the girl’s parents, Shankar was hacked to death in front of Gowsalya in broad daylight in Udumalpet in Tiruppur district on March 13, 2016.</p>.<p>Gowsalya, who was also injured in the attack, mustered courage in the coming days and fought a brave battle to get her parents punished for the “grievous crime.” After losing her husband, Gowsalya transformed herself into an activist against “honour killing” and is a vocal campaigner for a law against caste killings in the country.</p>.<p>Gowsalya launched a trust and named it after Shankar and chose to live with her husband’s family till she married Shakti, a parai artiste, in December 2018.</p>.<p>As a result of her struggle, the Tiruppur court sentenced her father and five people who were hired by the latter, to death, while acquitting her mother and maternal uncle. </p>.<p>However, the six moved the Madras High Court seeking a review of the death sentence, while the state moved against the acquittal of Gowsalya's mother.</p>.<p>The Madras High Court while confirming the acquittal of Gowsalya’s mother, cleared the father also of all charges and ordered his release from the Coimbatore Central Prison. Only the five men who were hired to kill Shankar now face life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years in prison without any right for remission. </p>.<p>A visibly shaken Gowsalya told the media in a choked voice that she will appeal against the Madras High Court order in the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>“I respect the judiciary, but the Madras High Court verdict has come as a shock and disappointment to me…We will not rest until we get justice. My legal fight will continue as long as I am alive. And I will continue to fight till Shankar gets justice for his killing,” Gowsalya told journalists.</p>
