Pathanamthitta (Kerala) | A Kerala court on Thursday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for stabbing and then burning to death a 19-year-old woman in 2019 near Thiruvalla for rejecting his romantic advances, police said.

The Pathanamthitta Additional District Sessions Court judge, G P Jayakrishnan, also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Ajin Reji Mathew, who was convicted of killing his classmate, Kavitha.

The court directed that the fine, if paid, be divided equally between the victim’s parents. If not, the accused’s property should be seized and the amount recovered, the court said.

The victim’s family welcomed the verdict but expressed disappointment that the accused was not given the death penalty.

"I was both happy and sad when the sentence was pronounced. He should have been given the same punishment that he gave my daughter. I expected a death sentence," the victim’s mother told reporters outside the court.

The court, in its order, also praised the police investigation and directed that a copy of the verdict be sent to the District Police Chiefs of Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam to consider a letter of appreciation for the investigating officer (IO) P R Santhosh, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Harishankar Prasad said.

Santhosh was the Thiruvalla Circle Inspector (CI) when he investigated the case and is now the CI of the Ernakulam South area, APP Prasad added.