HC judges kalyana sundaram pugalenthi judge suspends sentence imposed on Mexican national in murder case

HC suspends sentence imposed on Mexican national in murder case

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has suspended the sentence imposed on Mexican national Martin Manrique Mansoor by Madurai Mahila Court in 2020 for the murder of his ex-girlfriend and compatriot Cecile Denise Acosta. The court directed that he be enlarged on bail. The trial court had convicted and sentenced Mansoor to life for the murder.

A Division Bench of Justices K. Kalyanasundaram and B. Pugalendhi allowed the application for suspension of sentence filed by Mansoor. He preferred a criminal appeal against the trial court’s order, and pending appeal he sought the suspension of the sentence imposed on him by the trial court.

Mexican nationals Mansoor and Acosta had been partners since 2003. They had a daughter. At the time of the murder in 2012, Mansoor was pursuing a postdoctoral research in Mathematics at Kalasalingam University in Krishnankoil in Virudhunagar district. Acosta was learning Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam in Thrissur, Kerala.

The couple had quarrelled over custody of their daughter and it was said that following an argument, she was assaulted and grievously injured. Consequently, she died. In order to conceal the body, Mansoor wrapped it in a travel bag and burnt it with the bag in Austinpatti in Madurai district. Following a complaint by the Austinpatti Village Administrative Officer, a case was registered.

The police found a spare part of a car at the place that was said to belong to the car used by Mansoor. The counsel representing Mansoor argued the prosecution had not established that the spare part was missing from the car recovered from Mansoor and it was also not established that the spare part recovered from the place belonged to Mansoor’s car.

Taking note of the submissions made, the judges observed that a prosecution witness stated that such a spare part was available in all models of the car brand recovered from Mansoor. An expert said that tyre marks impression near the place of crime were analysed and it did not tally with the tyre marks of the car recovered from Mansoor.

The court said that this raised certain doubts. Though the investigating agency collected call details, the same was not established before the trial court. Since the petitioner made certain arguable points in his favour, the court was inclined to suspend the substantive sentence of imprisonment imposed on him, the judges said. He was directed to appear before Madurai Mahila Court on the first working day of every month till further orders.

You may also like...