HC bench relief for accused in murder case

MADURAI: The life sentence awarded to a man who murdered another over an argument, was reduced to seven years imprisonment by the Madurai Bench of the High Court on Wednesday.Kennedy Kumar of Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district, was standing outside the Naganathaswamy Theatre in Rameswaram around midnight on October 24, 2001, when Somasundaram, an ‘oyilattam’ artiste from Thittakudi, asked Kennedy if he was a thief.This triggered an argument and Kennedy stabbed Somasundaram. He was admitted to the hospital, where he died. Kennedy was arrested and the judge awarded him life sentence. He appealed against the sentence. A Division Bench comprising Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice G M Akbar Ali before which the appeal came up observed that this was a case of murder arising of sudden quarrel. This was not a pre-planned murder, the Bench held and reduced the sentence to seven years imprisonment.