INDIA: CONVICT HAMSA SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SAFIYA MURDER CASE

The district sessions court in Kasaragod, state of Kerala, has awarded death sentence to K.C. Hamsa, convict in the Safiya murder case. The convict has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10 lakh, which would be given to Safiya's family. The third accused Maimuna has been sentenced to six years in jail and slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000, while the fourth accused  M. Abdulla will have to serve three years in jail. The court had earlier found that K.C. Hamsa, Maimuna and M. Abdulla were guilty of murdering 14-year-old Safiya, who hailed from Ayyankeri in Coorg.  Second accused Moithu Haji and fifth accused P.N. Gopalakrishan were acquitted by the court. Safiya was only 14 when she was murdered seven years ago. She was working as domestic help at the residence of Hamsa, a leading contractor in Goa, at Bovikanam in Kasaragod.