The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted a suspension of sentence for four individuals, including a former CPI(M) MLA, who had been sentenced to five years in prison in connection with the murder of two Youth Congress workers in Periya, Kasaragod district, five years ago.
A bench of Justices P B Suresh Kumar and Jobin Sebastian temporarily halted the five-year sentences of former CPI(M) MLA and district leader KV Kunhiraman, Kanhangad block panchayat president K Manikandan, Raghavan Velutholi, and A V Bhaskaran. The decision was made after they appealed against their conviction and the subsequent punishment.
The case had been handled by a CBI court, which last week sentenced 10 individuals to life imprisonment in connection with the murders. Kunhiraman, Manikandan, Velutholi, and Bhaskaran were each given a 5-year prison term.
The court had convicted 14 individuals in total. Of these, 10 were given life sentences under charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. These sentences will run concurrently. The convicted individuals were charged under Sections 302 (murder), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC.
The individuals sentenced to life imprisonment included former CPM Periya local committee member A Peethambaran, Saji C George, Suresh K M, Anil Kumar K alias Abu, Gijin, Shrirag R aka Kuttu, Aswin A alias Appu, Subeesh alias Mani, Ranjith T aka Appu, and A Sruendan alias Vishnu Sura.
This legal development has drawn significant attention in Kerala, as the case remains a key example of political violence in the region.
