A Tamil Nadu POCSO court sentenced a man to double death penalty for the sexual assault and murder of a 17-year-old girl in Thoothukudi, 77 days after the crime.
A Tamil Nadu court sentenced Dharma Muneeswaran to death by hanging 77 days after raping and murdering a 17-year-old student, cracking the case via 98 CCTV feeds and 2,574 phone numbers despite no footage at the crime scene. The swift verdict prompted Chief Minister Vijay to call for accelerated trials in child sexual offense cases statewide.
The court's decision came 77 days after the crime
May 25, 2026
04:59 pm
What's the storyA POCSO court in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, has sentenced a convict, Dharma Muneeswaran, to death by hanging for sexually assaulting and murdering a 17-year-old girl.
The victim was a Class 12 student from Vilathikulam who was reported missing in March this year. Her body was later discovered in a scrubland near her home.
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