Nenmara double murder: Hearing on sentence today, prosecution to seek capital punishment
A man convicted of murdering a mother and son was to have sentencing arguments heard. He was already serving a jail term for murdering the son's wife.
A man convicted of murdering a mother and son was to have sentencing arguments heard. He was already serving a jail term for murdering the son's wife.
A man convicted of murdering a mother and son was to have sentencing arguments heard. He was already serving a jail term for murdering the son's wife.
The Palakkad Sessions Court is set to hear arguments on the quantum of sentence on Wednesday for Chenthamara (61), who was found guilty of murdering Sudhakaran and his mother Lakshmi, residents of Nenmara. The mother and son were hacked to death at their residence in Pothundi in January 2025.
Additional Sessions Judge-IV Kenneth George convicted Chenthamara after accepting the prosecution's evidence and finding that it had established his motive to kill Sudhakaran and Lakshmi. The court found him guilty of charges of murder and wrongful restraint. The quantum of sentence is likely to be pronounced on Wednesday.
Chenthamara, a resident of Boyan Colony House, Thiruthampadam, Pothundi, is already serving a jail term after being convicted in the 2019 murder of Sajitha, Sudhakaran's wife.
According to the prosecution, Chenthamara murdered Sudhakaran and Lakshmi on January 27, 2025, in a premeditated act of revenge. He was out on bail in the Sajitha murder case when he carried out the double murder. He was later convicted in Sajitha's murder case in October 2025.
The prosecution, led by M J Vijayakumar, examined 132 witnesses, of whom 81 were examined before the court. Four witnesses, all close relatives of Chenthamara, turned hostile during the trial. The prosecution relied primarily on material evidence, including call records, bloodstains and witness testimonies, and is expected to seek the capital punishment for the accused.
The defence, however, argued that the prosecution failed to establish a motive and did not produce sufficient material evidence to prove its case.
Despite his lawyers advising him against making statements that could affect the court's decision on sentencing, Chenthamara addressed the court defiantly, daring the judge to impose any sentence he deemed fit.
"I am not Gandhi to show the other cheek if I get slapped. If needed, I will kill more," Chenthamara was quoted as saying in court.
The case dates back to August 31, 2019, when Chenthamara allegedly entered Sajitha's house and hacked her to death. The prosecution said he believed Sajitha was responsible for the breakdown of his marriage. He attacked her with a knife, slashing her neck while she was alone at home.
After securing bail in that case, Chenthamara carried out the second attack on January 27, 2025, killing Sajitha's husband, Sudhakaran, and his mother, Lakshmi, taking the total number of his victims to three.
According to the remand report, Chenthamara told investigators he was satisfied that his plan had succeeded and that he had executed it meticulously. Police said he had purchased the machete used in the murders several days in advance and had attempted to mislead investigators by placing a vial of poison inside the house.