A special court in Mumbai today convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment all the four accused in Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez 2011 murder case. The duo was killed near an Andheri restaurant while defending their women friends from the four molesters. The four accused, Jitesha Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival were arrested on the night of the murder.
Special Public Prosecutor in the case Ujjwal Nikam informed that the 28 witnesses in case includes the two women, the victims Keenan and Reuben were defending. He added that direct evidence showed that the accused were molesting the girls and that this was a pre-meditated murder. On October 20, 2011, the duo was standing at a Paan shop outside a restaurant at Amboli in Andheri along with some women friends when a group of men started harassing the women.
Keenan and Reuben tried to stop the men. The attackers initially went back only to return with aides armed with weapons. Keenan died soon after the incident and Reuben died ten days later. The case was moved to a fast-track court in February 2012 and they were charged with murder, conspiracy and molestation. In January 2013, the trial was moved to Special Women’s Court which pronounced its verdict today. Parents, relatives and friends of the victims have said they are satisfied with the court’s order.