THODUPUZHA: The second accused in a case related to raping and killing a woman and her daughter at Vandiperiyar, was awarded capital punishment on Thursday. Thodupuzha Second Additional Sessions Judge K K Sujatha sentenced Peerumedu 57 mile Peruveliparambu resident Joemon (38) to death.

On various other counts offences, he was also awarded 30 years’ rigorous imprisonment and asked to pay Rs 50,000 fine. According to the case, Vandiperiyar 57 mile Vallomparambil resident Moli (55) and daughter Neenu (22) were raped and killed by the accused in December 2007. The first accused Vandiperiyar Churakkulam Puthuvalthadathil Rajendran (58) was sentenced to death in 2012 by Thodupuzha second additional court. The high court had rejected the appeal submitted by him.

The two convicts had broken open the doors of the victims’ house, killed Neenu and her bed-ridden mother Moly, after raping them. They raped them after making them unconscious by strangling their neck with towels. When they tried to resist, the men injured them with knife and iron rod.

After raping them, the culprits broke their ribs by hitting them with their knees. Soon after the heinous crime, Joemon went into hiding and hence his trial could not be conducted along with the first accused.

In the absence of witnesses, the court only considered circumstantial evidence. Adv Rahim was the public prosecutor in the case.