Thiruvananthapuram: A sessions court here on Friday convicted 13 RSS workers for the murder of CPM worker V.V. Vishnu near the passport office at Kaithamukku on April 1, 2008. The judgement will be pronounced on Saturday. The convicted are former MG college union chairman T. Santhosh of Kaithamukku, Manoj alias Kakkotta Manoj, Binukumar and Harilal of Keraladityapuram, Renjith Kumar of Manacaud, Balu Mahendra of Malappirikkonam, Vipin of Anayara, Satheesh Kumar of Kadavoor, Bose of Pettah and Manikantan of Vattiyoorkavu, Vinod Kumar of Chenchri, Subash of Sreekariyam and Sivalal of Karikkakaom.
All suspects barring Harilal were accused of murder, conspiracy, rioting and unlawful assembly. Harilal was charged with helping the suspects to abscond. The court acquitted Shaiju alias Arun Kumar who also was accused of harbouring the suspects. Another accused Renjith was hacked to death during the course of trial. Accused Assam Ani is still absconding. The deceased Vishnu was a member of the CPM collectorate branch who was named in a country bomb attack on the RSS office. He was hacked to death on April 1 as a trick to delay the spread of ne-ws during April fool’s day.
As per the prosecution, the plan to hack the youth was plotted below a banyan tree near the RSS Karyalayam at Fort. The trial was completed in seven months on the special directions from the High Court. Around 77 witnesses were cross-examined and 162 documents and 65 material evidence were examined during trial. Additional public prosecutor Sajan Prasad appeared on behalf of the prosecution.
