Techies found guilty in Attingal twin murder case

Thiruvananthapuram: Techies Nino Mathew, 42, and Anu Shanti, 32, have been found guilty of murdering the latter’s three-year old daughter Swasthika and mother-in-law Omana, 60,  and attempting to murder her husband Lijeesh at Attingal on April 16, 2014. Thiruvananthapuram district sessions judge V. Shircy, who found the accused guilty of  various offences,  including murder and attempt to murder on Friday, would pronounce the sentence on Monday.

Anu Shanthi pleaded before the court that she shall not be framed as a mother who killed daughter, while Nino pleaded that he may be given lesser punishment considering ailments of his mother and his child's future. Reacting to the verdict, Anu's husband Lijeesh told reporters that maximum punishment shall be given to the accused. Special prosecutor V.S. Vineeth Kumar pleaded for death penalty for both the accused considering the case as rarest of the rare because murders were committed for gratification of lust.

The court also rejected a petition of Nino’s lawyer to hear the pleas of Nino’s wife to give the accused  a chance to reform and take into consideration their child’s future. While Anu Shanthi’s lawyer pleaded for leniency citing that there was no evidence  to prove her intention to murder her daughter or mother-in-law,  Nino’s lawyer pleaded that there was no direct evidence to prove the  brutality of the murder and hence death penalty should not be awarded.

Apart from murder and attempt to murder under Indian Penal Code 302 and 307 respectively, the accused were found guilty of  criminal conspiracy under IPC 120-B, trespass under IPC 449, tampering with evidence under IPC 201, theft under IPC 380, act done with common intention under IPC 34 and for recording sexual acts under section 67 (A) of Information Technology Act.

The prosecution case was that Nino Mathew and Anu Shanthi, who were colleagues at a Technopark firm, were in an illicit affair. With the intention of staying together they committed the crime.

Prime accused Nino murdered Omana and Swasthika by hitting  them using a baseball stick and hacking them using a machete. His attempt to murder Lijeesh failed. In order to mislead the probe, he even stole the gold ornaments worn by Omana and Swasthika. Anu Shanthi told him about the house's location and supported  the crime.

A police team led by then Attingal DySP Prathapan Nair and then Attingal circle inspector M. Anil Kumar probed the case.  The prosecution presented 64 witnesses, 66 documentary pieces of evidence and 42 pieces of material evidence before the court.

The video footages of intimate moments of Nino Mathew and Anu Shanthi recovered from their computers and mobile phones was crucial evidence in the case. During arguments on the sentence, the special prosecutor Vineeth Kumar said that the crime was committed for gratification of lust and the diabolic act towards an aged woman and a kid warranted death penalty.

He also argued that Anu Shanthi, despite being a mother, was equally involved in the murder of her child and even refused to turn up for funeral which showed that she was not even remorseful. Hence, she also deserved the maximum punishment of death sentence, he pleaded.

Mr Sasthamangalam S. Ajith Kumar who appeared for Nino pleaded that since the murder was proved only on the basis of inferences, death penalty should  not be awarded.  Mr Murukumpuzha Vijayakumar also pleaded  to consider Anu Shanthi’s vision ailment for giving her lesser punishment. The bail of Anu Shanthi was cancelled after she was found guilty.