The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Kerala government’s curative petition seeking death sentence for the accused in a case of rape and murder of a 24-year-old woman in Kochi in February 2011, ANI reported. The Kerala government had filed a petition challenging the apex court’s September 2016 decision to commute the accused’s death sentence to seven-year imprisonment.

The bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar also rejected the claim that justice was denied to the victim in the case, reported Manorama.

In September 2016, the apex court had ruled that the accused Govindachamy’s intention was to sexually assault her, and her murder was incidental. The government had filed a review petition, however, it was rejected by the Supreme Court in November 2016. The curative petition was the only legal option left with the government to seek death penalty for Govindachamy in the case.

Govindachamy had assaulted the woman, a shopping mall employee, on board a passenger train on February 1. He threw her off the running train after she resisted him. He then jumped off the train himself and raped her as she lay injured near the tracks. Found lying unconscious, she succumbed to her injuries on February 6.

Govindachamy has been described as a “habitual offender” and was convicted in eight cases in Tamil Nadu between 2004 and 2008. In December 2013, a Thrissur court had awarded death sentence to Govindachamy in the case .