Dead girl's father welcomes verdict

Salem, Tamil Nadu: For N P Veerasamy it has been a vindication of his seven-year-long battle for justice. "The savages are at last punished," he said after a court Friday sentenced to death three AIADMK men responsible for the murder of his daughter and two other girls in a bus burning during a protest demonstration in 2000.

Veerasamy, the father of V Kokilavani, had tears in his eyes as he said: "This victory has come after such a long time... All parents who send their children to study will understand my feelings. It is a victory for justice."

He has spearheaded the courtroom battle in the case since 2000.

"My daughter went to college that day (February 2, 2000). I saw her later only as charcoal. My daughter was a pet of a child. We are an agricultural family. We sent her to study with many a dream... Our dreams were not fulfilled."

Apart from the three AIADMK workers sentenced to death, 25 other AIADMK men were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.

The three who have been awarded death sentence are Nedunchezhian (41), Muniappan (52) and Ravindran (44).

On February 2, 2000, a bus carrying Tamil Nadu Agricultural University students was returning to Coimbatore from a study tour in Dharmapuri when it was set ablaze by a mob protesting the conviction of their leader, former chief minister J Jayalalitha, in a corruption case.

Three students—V Kokilavani, Gayathri and Hemalatha—were trapped inside the bus and burnt alive. Besides, 18 students were injured.

Venkatesan, father of V. Gayathri, a retired principal of the Vridhachalam Government Arts College, was too distraught to even speak.

Hemalatha's father, Keshavachandran, said: "It was a verdict against violence. This should make people turn away from such violence."

The relatives of all the convicted AIADMK men set up a great wail outside the courtroom after the sentences were announced.

The court verdict comes two days before the Feb 18 re-elections ordered in 100 wards of Chennai Corporation following complaints by the AIADMK and Left of booth capturing and violence by the ruling DMK during the October civic polls.

The bus burning had occurred during the erstwhile Karunanidhi regime, with the police unable to stem the mob fury. The media filmed the incident.

Within a year of the incident, the AIADMK was voted to power and the trial in the case progressed at a snail's pace.

####On February 2, 2000, a bus was set ablaze by a mob protesting the conviction of Jayalalithaa.