All 20 BJP workers acquitted in 2014 murder of SDPI activist in Kasaragod

Kasaragod: All the accused in the 2014 murder of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activist Zainul Abid were acquitted by the Additional District and Sessions Court (III) in Kasaragod on Saturday, adding another case to the long list of politically and communally charged murders in the district that ended without a conviction.

The prosecution had named 21 BJP-RSS workers as accused in the murder case. Accused No. 8, Jyothish Kumar, a history-sheeter, died by suicide during the trial on February 16, 2022.

The acquittal of the remaining 20 accused came 12 years after Abid (24) was hacked to death in front of his father K A Mohammed Kunhi inside their furniture and mattress shop on MG Road on December 22, 2014.

Public prosecutor P Satheesan said the death of Abid’s father, the sole eyewitness, in a road accident in Karnataka, had dealt a blow to the prosecution.

Abid's relatives said they would appeal against the verdict.

Defence lawyer P Premarajan said that the accused -- who are BJP and BMS workers -- were implicated out of political enmity.

Of the several hate crimes that pushed Kasaragod to the brink, Abid’s murder was one. According to the charge sheet filed by the police, Abid's murder was a revenge attack linked to an attempt on the life of RSS worker Jyothish. Abid was an accused in the case.

The prosecution alleged that Jyothish’s friends killed Abid in retaliation.

The accused were Mahesh K of Battampara, Udayan, Prasanth K, Hareesh B, Anilkumar, Varun Kumar, Shylesh, Jyothish Kumar, Ajayakumar Shetty, Abhishek, Akshya Rai, Krishna K, Sachin, Vijesh K, Abhishek K, Prajith C, Sajith Kumar, Vaisha C, Radhakrishna C R, Anil Kumar and Sampreeth.

The prosecution said the first five accused had directly participated in the murder, while the others were involved in the conspiracy. The court found that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the accused.

P K Sudhakaran, who was then the Kasaragod Town Circle Inspector, filed the chargesheet. The investigation was conducted under the supervision of the then district police chief Thomson Jose by a team comprising DySP T P Ranjith, Sudhakaran and Sub-Inspector M Rajesh.

A long list of acquittals

The verdict has revived scrutiny of a series of murder cases in Kasaragod that ended in acquittals, many of them against the backdrop of political and communal tensions.

Riyas Maulavi murder (2017): Mohammed Riyas (34), a muezzin and madrasa teacher, was murdered inside a mosque room at Choori near Kasaragod on March 20, 2017. The three RSS workers accused in the case were acquitted by the Kasaragod Principal Sessions Court. The victim’s relatives challenged the verdict.

March murder (2013): Eighteen-year-old Sabith was murdered at JP Nagar in Kasaragod. All six accused were acquitted after the court questioned the credibility of the testimony of a friend who was an eyewitness.

Kumbala Azhar murder (2012): Mohammed Azharuddin, a Youth League activist, was stabbed to death during a clash at a reception organised by the Indian Union Muslim League. The court acquitted all five accused for lack of evidence.

Rishad murder (2011): Rishad, a textile shop salesperson from Battompara, was stabbed to death at Choori on January 9, 2011. The Sessions Court acquitted all seven accused on October 21, 2013.

Upendran murder (2011): Upendran, an autorickshaw driver and BJP activist who worked near the KSRTC depot in Kasaragod, was allegedly murdered after being hired for a trip on January 24, 2011. All nine accused were acquitted.

Abdul Sattar murder (2008): DYFI leader Sattar was stabbed to death at Sonkala in Uppala in December 2008. All three accused were acquitted after the prosecution failed to establish the charges.

Mohammed Sinan murder (2008): Sinan, from Bankarakunnu in Nellikkunnu, was murdered near the national highway underpass at Anabagilu on April 16, 2008. The accused were acquitted.

Sandeep murder (2008): BJP worker Sandeep (24), from Nellikkunnu beach, was stabbed to death near the New Bus Stand in Kasaragod at around 7.45 pm on April 14, 2008, on Vishu day. All eight accused were acquitted in a case that had triggered a series of five murders in the district.

Eriyal Abid murder (2007): Indian National League (INL) activist Eriyal Abid (24) was hacked to death by a motorcycle-borne gang at Eriyal in Mogral-Puthur panchayat around November 20, 2007. The Additional Sessions Court-III in Kasaragod acquitted five accused in the broad daylight murder. The sixth accused, Umar, remains absconding.

C A Mohammed murder (2008): Among the communal murders in Kasaragod over the past 15 years, the prosecution secured a conviction only in the murder of C A Mohammed (56), president of Bilal Mosque at Adkathbail. He was stabbed to death on Gudde Temple Road on April 18, 2008, a day after RSS advocate and trade union leader P Suhas was murdered. On August 24, 2024, the Kasaragod Additional Sessions Court-II convicted four BJP-RSS supporters.

P Suhas murder (2008): RSS advocate and trade union leader P Suhas was among the five people killed in the communal frenzy of 2008. He was stabbed to death in Kasaragod on April 17, 2008, a day before Bilal Mosque committee president C A Mohammed was murdered. The trial in Suhas's case remains pending.

The repeated acquittals have raised questions about the investigation of hate-linked murders and the prosecution of cases in Kasaragod. Yet, the police have moved on without even conducting the mandatory review of investigating officers’ roles in cases that ended in acquittals.