Child rape-murder accused Dashvanth acquitted in matricide case

CHENNAI: The Chengalpattu Court on Tuesday acquitted Dashvanth, a convict who was serving a death sentence and 46 years of imprisonment for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in 2017, in a separate case involving the brutal killing of his mother, Sarala Shekar.

The court cited insufficient evidence and unreliable witness testimony as reasons for his acquittal in the matricide case. However, Dashvanth remains incarcerated for the minor's murder and has been sent back to Puzhal prison.

Dashvanth, a resident of a private apartment complex in Kundrathur, Kancheepuram district, was convicted in 2018 by the Chengalpattu Mahila Court for the horrific rape and murder of a six-year-old girl. The child's body was found dumped on a national highway after being doused in petrol. The court awarded him the death penalty and 46 years in prison. However, the Supreme Court stayed his death sentence last year.

While out on bail during the trial phase of the minor’s rape cum murder case, Dashvanth allegedly bludgeoned his mother, Sarala, to death with a hammer in 2017 and escaped to Mumbai. A separate trial was initiated at the Chengalpattu Court, where his father, Shekar, was the prime witness.

During proceedings, Shekar reportedly provided contradictory testimony, undermining the prosecution's case. The court observed a lack of conclusive evidence and inconsistencies in witness accounts, leading to Dashvanth's acquittal.

After the acquittal, Dashvanth was immediately sent back to prison under stringent security amid heightened tensions to continue serving his sentence for the minor's murder.