Kerala High Court suspends sentences of four convicts in 2003 Muthanga case

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday suspended the sentences of four persons convicted in connection with the 2003 Muthanga land struggle case in Wayanad, in which a police eviction drive against Adivasi protesters turned violent.

Justice A Badharudeen passed the order on criminal appeals filed by the four convicts challenging their conviction and sentence. The four are social activist M Geethanandan, Binu, Ramesan and Anilkumar. They were among 57 people prosecuted in connection with the violence that broke out during the eviction of Adivasi protesters who had occupied forest land under the banner of the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha (AGMS).

The Sessions Court, in its July 31, 2026 judgment, had convicted the four of several offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint and confinement, voluntarily causing hurt and grievous hurt to public servants, criminal intimidation, kidnapping, causing hurt with dangerous weapons and attempt to murder.

The four were also convicted of attempting to murder Senior Civil Police Officer Abdul Salam and abducting Forest Range Officer P K Sasidharan. They were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of up to five years and fined ₹36,000 each.

The High Court had earlier expressed concern about how the Sessions Court recorded its findings while convicting the four. The court had observed that the judgment required thorough scrutiny.

The Muthanga confrontation took place during a police operation to evict Adivasi protesters from the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. The operation led to violence and police firing. Eighteen rounds were fired, killing two protesters immediately. The death toll among the protesters later rose to five. Police constable K V Vinod was also killed in the violence.
(With LiveLaw inputs.)