Chennai: A year after 82-year-old noted psychotherapist and psychiatrist Emma Gonsalvez was found murdered in her Chennai residence, the juvenile justice board on Wednesday sentenced 16-year-old boy to undergo two years of imprisonment on charges of killing her. Emma, who was living alone, was found dead in her flat on the 7th floor of Tangy Apartment on Dr Cherian Crescent Road, on June 13 last year. The post-mortem report revealed that it was a case of murder due to strangulation.
The Egmore police registered case and conducted investigation. Three months later, with little progress in investigations, the case was transferred to CB-CID. Later, CB-CID formed 15 special teams to nab the eluding accused. The team stumbled on CCTV footage, in which two strangers were seen carrying two laptop bags belonged to Emma.
The cops arrested her debt-ridden nephew and a suspect, Immanuel Fernandez, 45, son of Emma’s elder sister, Grace. He was said to be close to his aunt. Immanuel had forged Emma’s will to claim ownership of her property worth crores of rupees. However, Emma, in 2008, had gifted almost all her property to Immanuel in the original will.
On scrutiny of the footage, the sleuths suspected the involvement of a juvenile, who along with his father had installed a TV at her residence. As the police officials were following leads, the juvenile suspect surrendered before the juvenile justice board, Kellys, on October 8, 2014.
He confessed that he decamped from the flat with two laptops, three gold chains and two earrings after throttling Emma to death. A chargesheet was filed against him under sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of IPC before the board on December 11 last year. On completion of the trial, the board sentenced the juvenile in conflict with law to undergo two years of imprisonment. The boy will serve the sentence in a government observation home.
