Dr Subbiah murder in Chennai: Seven get death penalty

CHENNAI:

Seven

years after the brutal murder of a Chennai-based neurologist Dr S D Subbiah, due to family feud, a city court imposed

death penalty

to seven of the 10 accused. These include two lawyers.

Two others were sentenced to double life terms while another accused, who turned an approver, has been released without any punishment.

Additional sessions Judge-I S Alli pronounced the order after declaring all the nine accused as guilty for the offences charged against them.

On September 14, 2013 a gang attacked Subbiah with weapons when he came out of

Billroth Hospital

in Raja Annamalaipuram. He succumbed to the injuries on September 23.

Subsequently, police arrested Dr James Satish Kumar and henchmen Murugan,

Selva Prakash

, Iyyappan, school teacher

Ponnusamy

, his wife P Mary Pushpam, and sons, P

Basil

, a lawyer, P Boris and Yesurajan.

The prime accused advocate B Williams who was absconding surrendered in August 2018.

Now, completing the trial, the sessions judge on Wednesday sentenced Ponnusamy, Basil, Boris, William, James Satish Kumar, Murugan and Selva Prakash to double capital punishment for offences under Sections 302 and 120B of IPC.

The other two accused – Mary Pushpam and Yesurajan have been sentenced to double life terms.

Iyyappan who turned as an approver was considered as a prosecution witness and was released without any punishment.

“The verdict came after 2,872 days, and I strongly believe in our judiciary system,” said Dr Subbaiah’s widow Shanthi Subbaiah.

“I always want to be a homemaker and stay at home. But the circumstances have forced me to take up challenges,” she said.

Shanthi, who has started her own embroidery silk sari sales showroom with her sister in Nandanam, said, “I had several sleepless nights rewinding the sudden demise of my husband. The pain and agony which I had undergone cannot be compensated by anyone and none should undergo or put to the situation,” she said.