HC notice to SPP on appeal by double murder accused

The Madras High Court today issued notice to the State Public Prosecutor on an appeal by a double murder accused and adjourned the matter to December 19.
A Division Bench Comprising Justices S Rajeswaran and P N Prakash before whom the appeal by double murder accused R Manoharan of Coimbatore came up, ordered notice to the SPP and adjourned the case to that date.
The matter pertains to the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl and the murder of her brother in 2010 by Manoharan.
A special Court at Coimbatore had tried the case and sentenced him to death.

The two children were kidnapped on October 29, 2010 by a former driver Mohanakrishnan and Manoharan while they were waiting for their school van. The duo demanded Rs 2 lakh as ransom, later raped the girl and murdered her brother.
The children's bodies were recovered by police at Tiruppur Kalimedu canal two days of the incident.
Manoharan was nabbed in November 2010 and Mohanakrishnan was shot dead by police that month while resisting arrest and trying to attack police.
Manoharan filed an appeal in High Court contending there was no direct evidence to corroborate the police theory that they had kidnapped and murdered the children and the lower court has awarded an excessive sentence of death to him.