Keenan-Reuben murder: All accused get life sentence
The 4 men accused in the murder case of Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez were convicted and sentenced to life in jail by a special women's court. The two had been murdered in 2011 while defending their female friend from a group of harassers. The families of the deceased hailed the decision and said that justice had been finally served.
On 20 October 2011, Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez got embroiled in a scuffle with 4 men in Amboli in Andheri. They were with their female friends when a man began harassing them. Reuben-Keenan's efforts to stop the eve-teasing ended up in the duo getting stabbed by 4 men. While Keenan died the same day, Reuben died after 10 days succumbing to his injuries.
Jeetendra Rana who had made a pass at the girls with Reuben-Keenan had been told off by the boys. He had left the site, only to return with a gang of 4, armed with choppers and had stabbed Reuben and Keenan.
Charges were framed against the 4 accused in the Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez murder case in a local court. The accused had been charged with murder, conspiracy and molestation charges. The case had been transferred to the fast-track court in Sewri in March 2012 after there was a huge public outcry. The trial was scheduled to begin in November.
The duo- Keenan and Reuben were posthumously venerated with Godfrey Phillips Bravery Zone Award for standing up against eve-teasing.
The trial was moved to special women's court- the court that tries cases of crimes against women. The trial would see testimonies of 25 witnesses including five eyewitnesses, which included the 2 female friends of the deceased. The four accused – Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival who were arrested a day after the murder had been in jail ever since.
