Thiruvalla murder case: accused found guilty

A court here on Tuesday found a man guilty in a case in which a 19-year-old woman was brutally killed in Thiruvalla in 2019. 

The Additional District Court (I) convicted Ajin Reji Mathew for murdering Kavitha, a native of Kaviyoor. The sentence will be pronounced on Thursday.

On March 12, 2019, Ajin allegedly doused Kavitha with petrol and set her ablaze after she rejected his proposals.

The victim’s family members, who were present in court, demanded death penalty for the accused.

Both the convict and the victim studied together in higher secondary school. Later, Kavitha joined a private institution in Thiruvalla for a lab technician course. Meanwhile, Ajin continued to pursue her against her will. On the day of the incident, Ajin, who had purchased three bottles of petrol from a nearby fuel station, intercepted Kavitha while she was walking to class. He then stabbed her and poured petrol over her body before setting her on fire. Locals rushed the severely injured Kavitha to a hospital. She later succumbed to her burn injuries during treatment at a hospital in Ernakulam.