Kerala twin murder: 10 CPM workers sentenced to double life imprisonment, ex MLA gets 5-yr jail term
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A CBI special court on Friday sentenced 10 CPM workers to double life imprisonment for the murder and conspiracy in the killings of Youth Congress workers Kripesh, 21, and Sarathlal K, 24, about six years ago.
The court also handed five-year prison terms to former CPM MLA K V Kuhiraman, Kanhangad Block Panchayat president K Manikandan, and two others for aiding the escape of the second accused, Sakor George, from police custody. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each on the 10 convicts sentenced to double life imprisonment.
The four accused sentenced to five years imprisonment must pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
Youth Congress workers Kripesh,21, and Sarathlal P, 23, were brutally hacked to death at Kalliyot near Periya Kasargod on February 17, 2019.
The accused sentenced to life imprisonment are Peethambaran, former member of CPM's Periya Local Committee, Saji C George, Suresh K M, Anil Kumar alias Abu, Gijin, Sreerag R, Aswin A alias Appu, and CITU worker Subeesh, Ranjith T, and A Surendran alias Vishnu Sara.
Former Udma MLA and CPM's district secretariat member K V Kunhiraman, CPM Kasargod district committee member, Kanhangad block panchayat president K Manikandan, Raghavan Velutholy, former local secretary, and K V Bhaskaran, retired secretary of the CPM controlled cooperative bank, were sentenced to five years of imprisonment under Section 225 of the IPC for forcibly taking away the second accused from police custody.
Of the 24 persons tried, the court found 14 guilty, while 10 were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Earlier the party had removed A Peethambaran from the post of CPM Periya local committee after he was arrested following the murders.
Families of slain Youth Congress leaders disappointed by the verdict
The families of slain youth congress leaders Kripaesh and Sarath Lal expressed disappointment at the CBI special court's verdict in the double murder case.
The family members said they expected the death penalty for the first eight accused. Former CPM MLA K V Kunhiraman, who was part of the conspiracy, got a lighter punishment.
The family members said they would seek legal opinion and consult the matter with the Congress leadership before deciding to appeal against the verdict.
"We will take further legal action in consultation with Congress leaders. The fact that ten of the convicts got double life imprisonment is a matter of relief for us," Kripesh's father P V Krishnan told media persons on the court premises soon after the verdict.
Opposition leader V D Satheeshan said the verdict had yet again exposed the murder politics of the CPM. The CPM's repeated claims that they had no role in the murders have been proved wrong by the court verdict, which has sentenced many CPM leaders.
CPM state secretary M V Govindan said the party would examine the verdict in detail and decide on further legal recourse. He reiterated that the CPM had no role in the murder, which was a result of internal conflicts.
