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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
6 |
Year Crime: |
2010 |
Year Convicted: |
2015 |
Year Cleared: |
2016 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
India |
County or Region of Crime: |
Tamil Nadu |
City of Crime: |
Kumbakonam |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Shaik Maracaiyar was wrongly convicted on April 23, 2015 of murder in the death of 27-year-old Devika who had eloped with him to the Indian city of Kumbakonam. The couple eloped after Devika's parents disapproved of her marriage and refused to allow her into their house. Maracaiyar and Devika both lived in Chennai, where he was a vegetable vendor and she was employed in a leather company. Devika was found in their hotel room on September 24, 2010 foaming at the mouth with a container of insecticide next to her. Maracaiyar was charged on Sept. 30, 2010, and his prosecution was based on the theory that he forced Devika to take the poison. Maracaiyar's defense was that they bought the insecticide purchased from a nearby store and planned to consume it and died together, but that Devika had jumped the gun and taken the poison alone. After his conviction in the Sessions Court in Thanjavur, Maracaiyar was sentenced to life in prison. He appealed. In November 2016 the Madras High Court set aside the conviction and life sentence of Maracaiyar on the basis his proof had not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt because the trial court failed to adequately consider that the alternative theory that Devika committed suicide, could not be ruled out." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"In November 2016 the Madras High Court set aside the conviction and life sentence of Maracaiyar on the basis his proof had not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt because the trial court failed to adequately consider that the alternative theory that Devika committed suicide, could not be ruled out." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
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Age When Released: |
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Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Indian |
Information Source 1: |
"HC sets aside vegetable vendor’s life sentence, www.nyoooz.com, November 6, 2016" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.nyoooz.com/madurai/655610/hc-sets-aside-vegetable-vendors-life-sentence |
Information Source 2: |
"HC sets aside vegetable vendor’s life sentence, By Special Correspondent, The Hindu, November 6, 2016" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/hc-sets-aside-vegetable-vendors-life-sentence/article9310849.ece |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org