Kerala: Man kills ex-girlfriend while on video call with new BF, the gruesome murder got recorded; gets life sentence

Kannur: A district sessions court in Kerala has sentenced a 25-year old youth to life imprisonment for murdering his ex-girlfriend who had spurned him.

The Thalassery Additional District Sessions Court (One) sentenced to life imprisonment M Shyamjith in connection with the October, 2022, murder of Vishnupriya of Vallyayi near Panoor, in an apparent revenge act after she snapped her relations with him.

Additional District and Sessions Court judge A V Mridhula also imposed ten years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs two lakh under section 449 (trespass in order to commit offence in her house) of IPC.

The court also ruled that the fine amount would be given to the victim’s family. In case of non-payment of the fine, he has to undergo an additional six months of life imprisonment would be the result.

Judge A V Mridhula found the youth guilty on May 10, under sections 449 and 302 (murder) of IPC . The trial began on September 21, 2023.

It was on October 22, 2022, around 1130 am, that the body of Vishnupriya (23) was found with a slit in and around the neck, and around 18 injuries on her hands and legs, by her mother, when she returned from their ancestral house.

Shyamjith barged into the house from the rear and entered her bedroom. At that time Vishnu Priya was on a video call with her boyfriend of Ponnani in Malappuram district and when the accused came home with weapons and attacked the victim the entire chain of events was recorded live in the 13 second video call. This formed a crucial evidence in the case.

The prosecution also produced CCTV footage of the accused buying a hammer and gloves from a shop in Koothuparamba also became evidence in the court.

Shyamjith and Vishnupriya were in love for about five years. The girl rejected Shyamjith after she started an affair with another youth of Ponnani and this resulted in revenge against the victim.