A court in Kerala on Monday sentenced five workers of the CPI(M) to rigorous life imprisonment in a case pertaining to the murder of a 22-year-old BJP activist at Vadakkumbad in Thalassery, Kannur a decade ago.
The CPI(M) workers who were awarded life imprisonment by the Additional District and Sessions Court in Thalassery for the brutal murder include K Sreejith (39) from Vadakkumbad, V Benoy (31) from Nittoor Gumti, PP Sunilkumar (51) from Vadakkumbad, KP Manaf (42) and CK Marshood (34) both from Gumti.
The court also imposed on them a fine of Rs 50,000 each. The court acquitted two of the total eight accused, CPI(M) workers U Firoze of Gumti and Valsan Vayanal of Vadakkumbad, for want of evidence. Eighth accused Moolan Sasidharan had died during the trial. The punishment was awarded as per Sections 143, 147, 148, 341 and 302 (read with 149) of the IPC.
BJP activist Nikhil of Vadakkumbad near Thalassery, who was working as a lorry cleaner, was hacked to death on March 5, 2008 by a CPI(M) killer gang at Kooli Bazaar in Vadakkumbad amidst a conflict that had erupted between the BJP and CPI(M) in the area. All the accused were from the Vadakkumbad area.
According to the Prosecution, the killer gang had hacked Nikhil to death after dragging him out of the lorry as he was returning home after work. The case was investigated and chargesheet was submitted by a team headed by the then circle Inspector of Police —presently a Deputy Superintendent of Police — U Preman.
The Prosecution had produced 67 documents and 16 exhibits to support its case. Of the total 44 witnesses, 14 had turned hostile during the trial.