Wayanad: A court here has sentenced the man who was found guilty of the Nelliyambam double murder death.
The Wayanad Additional District and Session Court pronounced capital punishment on Arujun who killed the retired physical education teacher Keshavan Nair and his wife Padmavati during a failed robbery attempt.
The court found him guilty of the crime that took place on June 10, 2021. Though police had initially thought it was a two-member gang who killed the elderly couple, a forensic test proved Arjun's involvement.
Arjun, who worked in hotels and resorts in Bengaluru and Chennai, came home during the lockdown. He was a daily wage labourer and was seen working on a plantation till 6 pm on the day of the murder. Nair was a physical education teacher at schools in Panamaram and Neevaram in the district.
The background
Nair and his wife Padmavati were killed during a failed robbery attempt.
According to the investigation team, the youngster first attempted to enter the house by breaking the bars of the rear window. When he looked through the opening in the window, he saw that Nair watching the TV. Arjun then came to the front of the house and knocked on the door. Nair opened the door and went out into the yard to check, Arjun used this time to enter the house and hid inside the room.
While moving to another room in the dark, he tripped on a vessel. When Nair came to the room to check on the sound, he saw Arjun trying to flee. The youngster stabbed Nair with a knife to escape.
Padmavati, who followed her husband to the room, was also stabbed. Police later revealed that he had not planned to stab the couple or kill them. When it was certain that both would die, Arjun gave up the robbery attempt and fled.