Chenthamara’s counsel to move HC against Palakkad court's verdict in Sajitha murder case
The accused is also facing trial for the murder of Sajitha’s husband Sudhakaran (53) and his mother Lakshmi (72) on January 27, 2025.
The accused is also facing trial for the murder of Sajitha’s husband Sudhakaran (53) and his mother Lakshmi (72) on January 27, 2025.
The accused is also facing trial for the murder of Sajitha’s husband Sudhakaran (53) and his mother Lakshmi (72) on January 27, 2025.
Palakkad: In the 2019 Sajitha murder case, counsel for convict Chenthamara has announced plans to approach the Kerala High Court challenging the Palakkad Additional District and Sessions Court’s order. The court judge Kenneth George sentenced him to double life imprisonment in the case on Saturday.
The defence argued that the court order referred only to “simple life imprisonment” under IPC Section 302 and said they would await the detailed judgment for clarity on the sentence.
“No one witnessed the crime. The prosecution failed to produce complete circumstantial evidence. If any link to prove the crime was broken, the court should have granted the benefit of the doubt to the accused. We are not sure whether the court examined this aspect in detail,” said Chenthamara’s counsel.
He further alleged serious lapses in the investigation, claiming that the weapon of offence seized by the probe team was not sealed at the scene. “The investigating officer himself admitted that the weapon was not sealed after recovery. This is a violation of Supreme Court guidelines,” the lawyer added.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family welcomed the verdict and said they have no plans to appeal against the order.
Chenthamara was convicted in the case related to the murder of Sajitha (35) in 2019. Additional District and Sessions Judge IV Kenneth George found him guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and 449 (house trespass) of the IPC.
The accused is also facing trial for the murder of Sajitha’s husband Sudhakaran (53) and his mother Lakshmi (72) on January 27, 2025. He allegedly committed the double murder after securing bail in the 2019 case.
According to investigators, Chenthamara harboured deep animosity towards Sajitha's family, believing that his wife and children had left him because of their interference. Reports suggest that he targeted Sajitha after a sorcerer allegedly told him that a woman with long hair had plotted against his marital life.