Instagram reel of Periya double murder convict goes viral; relatives demand action

Kasaragod: Relatives of slain Youth Congress workers Sarathlal P K and Kripesh have demanded action against Ashwin, the seventh accused convicted in the double murder, after he allegedly shared a "provocative" Instagram reel while out of prison on leave.

Ashwin is serving double life imprisonment for the murder and criminal conspiracy in the killing of Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sarath Lal.

On his Instagram account, Ashwin shared a short video that opens with the television footage of him walking through a court complex. It then shows him stepping out of a car on a bridge in slow motion, twirling his moustache, exhaling smoke and adjusting a steel bangle on his wrist.

Relatives of the victims alleged that the reel amounted to glorification of a convicted murderer and mocked the suffering of the families who lost their sons.

The video, shared widely before it was taken down, has triggered demands for prison authorities to examine whether any conditions attached to the leave were violated. Officials are also being urged to ascertain whether Ashwin himself uploaded the reel or was directly involved in its production and circulation.

Prison officials said prisoners released on leave are expected to avoid activities that could be considered provocative or likely to create law-and-order issues.