Kochi: In a setback to the convicts of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T P Chandrasekharan murder case, the Kerala High Court here on Monday dismissed their appeal while upholding the quantum of punishment awarded by a lower court. The court also nullified the acquittal of two accused including CPM leader K K Krishnan and Jyothi Babu. The court asked the duo to appear before the court on February 26 and face trial in the case.
A division bench of the High Court including Justice A K Jayasankar Nambair and Justice Kausar Edapagath issued the judgement while considering the appeals moved by the convicts, government and TP Chandrasekharan's wife MLA KK Rema.
Meanwhile, the court has upheld the court order acquitting Kozhikode CPM district secretary P Mohanan who was booked for conspiracy charges.
An additional Sessions court in Kozhikode awarded life term for 11 convicts - M C Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, TJ Rajeesh, Muhammad Shafi, Annan Sijith, K Shinoj, K C Ramachandran, Trouser Maoj and CPM Panoor area committee member PK Kunjananthan and Vayappadachi Rafeeq in the murder case. Another convict Lambu Pradeep was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment. In its crucial judgement, the HC has upheld this 2014 order of the lower court.
KK Rema welcomed the verdict and declared that she would continue the fight until all people including P Mohanan get convicted in the case.
The case
TP Chandrasekharan, 52, the founder of the Revolutionary Marxist Party, was hacked to death by a gang around 10 pm on May 4, 2012. He was returning home on his bike, when the gang knocked him down with their car before brutally hacking him.
The then UDF government constituted a special investigation team, which arrested 76 people in the case.
The Additional Sessions Court in Kozhikode sentenced 11 to life imprisonment and awarded three years' jail term to another one person on January 22, 2014. PK Kunhanandan, former Panoor area committee member of the CPM, died while undergoing imprisonment on June 11, 2020. One person completed his jail term. Of the remaining 10, all except Kodi Suni, were granted parole more than three months ago, considering the spread of COVID-19.
