St Thomas Mount railway station murder: Madras HC commutes killer’s death sentence to life

CHENNAI: Even as it reduced the death sentence awarded to the spurned youth who murdered a college girl by pushing her in front of a train at St Thomas Mount to life imprisonment, the Madras High Court directed that the convict should not be granted remission for 20 years.

The victim, Sathyapriya, was a college student living in the St Thomas Mount police quarters in Chennai. Sathish, who lived in the same quarters, had been in a relationship with her. It is said that the student stopped talking to Sathish due to opposition from her parents.

On October 13, 2022, when she came to the railway station to catch the train as usual, Sathish pushed her in front of an oncoming train bound for Tambaram. She was run over by the train and died on the spot, while he was arrested subsequently.

The case registered by the CB-CID was heard by the Chennai Mahila Special Court, which sentenced Sathish to death on December 30, 2024. The case was then referred to the High Court for confirmation of the death sentence. Meanwhile, Sathish also filed an appeal.

When the matter came before a division bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and M Jothiraman, the senior counsel appearing for the convict argued that the act was committed in a moment of sudden anger and emotional distress, as the girl he loved had agreed to marry another person. He contended that the crime was not premeditated and did not fall under the rarest of rare category, warranting the death penalty.

However, State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, who appeared for the CB-CID, disagreed with the contention and argued that it was not a spontaneous or emotional act but a planned murder.

Jinnah said Sathish had been watching Sathyapriya for two days, and on the third day, he waited near the railway track and pushed her in front of the approaching train. This was proven with CCTV footage and other evidence, he said, and added that this was a horrific murder committed out of the bruised ego of a man who could not accept a woman's right to say no and express her own choice.

Hence, the court should uphold the death sentence, he submitted.

After hearing the arguments, the judges reduced the death sentence imposed on Sathish to life imprisonment. It then added that no remission should be granted to him for 20 years.