Soumya’s rapist Govindachamy, a ‘supposed beggar’ hires a high-profile criminal lawyer, BA Aloor for Rs 15 Lakh
Thiruvananthapuram, September 16: When 30-year -old Govindachamy alias Charly was first arrested on charges of raping and murdering 23-year-old Soumya, he was described as a mentally unbalanced beggar, and then a petty thief. However, the case soon took a surprising turn, when high-profile criminal lawyer, BA Aloor, appeared along with two other lawyers to defend Govindachamy.
Aloor also represented Govindachamy in the Supreme Court, part of a team of four lawyers that got his sentence commuted from a death sentence to seven years’ imprisonment.While Govindachamy or any other accused is free to hire any lawyer of their choice, what is apparent is that the case took a turn in the Supreme Court that most people had not expected. The prosecution was not able to prove the murder charge, reports thequint.com.
Soumya who worked as a salesgirl, was returning home by Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train on 1 February 2011. Govindachami went to the ladies’ compartment where she was, robbed and attacked her. Soumya’s body was found in the forests near Vallathol railway station.
Originally convicted of rape and murder and awarded the death sentence by a Thrissur Fast Track Court, Govindachamy appealed the case in the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court. While the HC upheld the sentence, the SC commuted the death term for murder charge to seven years’ imprisonment.
The court, on Thursday, upheld life sentence in the rape case and said it was not convinced that Govindachamy had murdered Soumya.
Aloor, originally named Biju Antony, is a criminal lawyer based in Mumbai, and has appeared in a string of high-profile cases during his career. How could Govindachamy, a petty thief and a ‘beggar’ afford a lawyer like Aloor?
How is that anyone’s concern? I charge Rs 5 lakh per criminal case and my duty is only to represent my client. Since I have represented him in three courts, the charges have exceeded Rs 15 lakh, but that is not of anyone’s concern, reports thequint.com.
When asked who approached him to represent Govindachamy, he was elusive. “There are certain people who wanted to help him. People who have been accused along with him in other cases who had approached me.
The ‘mafia connection’ is a media creation,” he says. When asked why the media should not be concerned that a petty criminal could afford a good lawyer and crush a case, Aloor retorted, “When crores were spent for Achutanandan in the Supreme Court, did the media question that? Why question this now?”
