Thrissur man gets 42 years RI, ₹4 lakh fine for stabbing police inspector on duty

Thrissur: A 27-year-old man, identified as Ananthu alias Mari, a native of Padavarad, has been sentenced to 42 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹4 lakh for stabbing and attempting to murder Ollur Inspector TP Farshad while he was on official duty.

Ananthu, who is accused in around 19 criminal cases, including drug-related offences and attempted murder, was sentenced by Ramya R Menon, Special Judge of the Thrissur Fast Track Court-II.

The incident occurred on December 5, 2024, after Inspector TP Farshad and a police team received information that Ananthu was staying at a farm near the Ayyappankavu temple at Padavarad, Ollur. The accused was on the station's rowdy list and was involved in several cases related to law-and-order issues.

When the police attempted to take him into custody, Ananthu allegedly threatened to kill the inspector and attacked him with a knife he was carrying. He stabbed Farshad in the neck and the left side of the chest.

The inspector, who suffered serious injuries, was admitted to Midas Hospital in Ollur. The police subsequently overpowered Ananthu and took him into custody.

The prosecution told the court that the accused was involved in around 19 criminal cases, including cases related to narcotics and attempted murder. He had not been granted bail in the case and faced the trial as an undertrial prisoner.

It examined 47 witnesses and produced 68 documents, CCTV footage and other scientific evidence, besides eight material objects before the court. A notable aspect of the trial was that none of the witnesses turned hostile. All the witnesses testified in favour of the prosecution.

The court convicted and sentenced Ananthu for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his official duties and for intentionally stabbing and injuring the inspector with the intention of killing him.