Four days after convicting Chenthamara (61) in the Nenmara twin murder case, the Palakkad Sessions Court on Monday sentenced him to death. The court also imposed a penalty of ₹20 lakh, which is to be divided equally among the daughters and kin of the victims, Sudhakaran and his mother, Lakshmi. 

Additional Sessions Judge (4) Kenneth George considered the reports filed by the probation officer, the prison superintendent and the psychiatrist before arriving at the judgement. Chenthamara was also sentenced to imple imprisonment for one month and to pay a fine of ₹5000. 

The court had earlier found Chenthamara guilty of murdering Sudhakaran and Lakshmi, who were hacked to death at their home in Pothundi, Nenmara, in January 2025. The murders were committed while he was out on bail in the murder case of Sudhakaran's wife, Sajitha, for which he was later convicted in October 2025.

"The court rejected all the contentions raised by the defence, and accepted the prosecution's statements in whole," Vijayakumar, the prosecutor in the case, told the media after the court pronounced the punishment.

"The court accepted that he has no remorse and that there is no scope for rehabilitation. Additionally, the court found that he had pre-planned the cold-blooded murder, unprovoked," he added.

He also said that the state may have to bear the penalty amount, as the accused has no property.

Expressing relief over the death sentence, Akhila, the daughter of Sudhakaran and Sajitha, said Chenthamara had shown no remorse and appeared fearless even after being convicted. "We had faith in the court, and it delivered a reassuring verdict," Akhila told the media after the sentencing.

She added that the family would respond appropriately if the defence chose to appeal the verdict.

The court heard the arguments on sentencing on July 16. The prosecution sought capital punishment, a demand supported by the daughters of Sudhakaran and Sajitha.

The defence, however, argued that Chenthamara was in a depressed mental state at the time of the murders. It contended that this was evident from his alleged attempt to die by suicide by consuming poison shortly after killing Sudhakaran and Lakshmi. The defence urged the court to take his psychological condition into account while deciding the sentence.

Chenthamara's conduct in court was often volatile. He even challenged the judge to impose any sentence he deemed fit, while at other moments he expressed remorse and sympathy for the victims' children. He also remarked, "I am not Gandhi to show the other cheek if I get slapped. If needed, I will kill more," despite his counsel's advice to refrain from making provocative statements.

Meanwhile, according to the mitigation report submitted before the Additional District and Sessions Court-IV, Palakkad, ahead of sentencing, Chenthamara expressed a desire to financially support the victims' minor daughter in a fatherly role. The report stated that he regretted the murders and wished to earn money through prison labour, if physically able, and send his savings to the children.

However, Vijayakumar denied these reports. "We convinced the court that Chenthamara, who spoke nothing of it in the court on July 15, only reconsidered his statements after we demanded a death penalty," he told the media.

Additional Sessions Judge-IV Kenneth George convicted Chenthamara of murder and wrongful restraint after accepting the prosecution's argument that the killings were a premeditated act of revenge.

According to the prosecution, Chenthamara murdered Sudhakaran and Lakshmi on January 27, 2025. It examined 132 witnesses, of whom 81 testified before the court. Although four witnesses, all close relatives of the accused, turned hostile, the prosecution relied on forensic evidence, call records, bloodstain analysis and witness testimonies to establish its case.

The defence, meanwhile, maintained that the prosecution had failed to prove motive beyond reasonable doubt and had not produced sufficient evidence to sustain the conviction.

Police said Chenthamara had purchased the machete used in the killings several days in advance and attempted to mislead investigators by placing a vial of poison inside the house. According to the remand report, he told investigators he was satisfied that he had executed his plan meticulously.