Vinod Kumar murder case: Wife, friend get lifer

MALAPPURAM: The Majeri district and sessions court on Friday sentenced a woman and her friend to rigorous imprisonment for life for conspiring and killing her husband, a gas agency owner, in Valanchery.   The court had on Thursday found Jaseentha George alias Jyothi and their family friend Muhammed Yusaf, the second accused, guilty of killing Vinod Kumar on October 9, 2015, over his relationship with another woman. The court found them guilty of murder, conspiracy and causing destruction of evidence.

The court imposed a fine of '25,000 each on the accused for murder and they will have to spend two more years more in jail in case of default. Each of the accused will have to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 for conspiracy and in default will have to serve a term of one year. They were also fined Rs 7,500 each for causing destruction of evidence and in default will have a to serve six months each. They can serve the sentences together.

Vinod Kumar was killed when he was asleep in his quarters in Vendalloor in Valanchery.  Police had initially ruled out a conspiracy in the preliminary probe, saying the murder occurred during a robbery attempt. There were 32 wounds on Vinod’s body.  On the night of the crime, Jyothi reportedly asked Yusaf to cut her throat so that the deed would look like a robbery attempt that went wrong.