Five activists of the RSS-BJP were on Wednesday, May 22, convicted for the murder of a Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker in Kerala's Kannur in 2006 and sentenced to life imprisonment, while nine others including a top state RSS leader were acquitted. A fine of Rs 50,000 each was also slapped on the convicts.
CPI(M) worker K.V. Yakub, 24, was attacked on June 13, 2006, while he was visiting a friend’s house. The accused first threw a bomb at him and when he tried to flee for his life, he was chased and hacked to death.
Additional District Sessions Judge R.L. Baiju convicted and sentenced Shankaran, his brother Manoharan, Vijesh, Prakasan and Kavyesh, all local BJP-RSS leaders in the district, while acquitting nine other accused including Valsan Thillankery, a top leader of RSS in north Kerala.
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The court examined 23 witnesses and 49 supporting documents and objects for finalising the verdict in the case.
In yet another case, seven RSS-BJP workers were sentenced for life twelve years after the brutal murder of another CPI(M) activist. P. Pavithran who worked as a labourer, was attacked on November 6, 2007, when he was going out to buy milk early in the morning.
The incident occurred near his house at Ponniam, Kannur, and the deceased’s son was a witness to the crime. While trying to escape from the attackers, a group of men stabbed Pavithran to death.
He succumbed to his injuries four days after he was admitted to a hospital. The Thalassery Additional District Sessions Court judge P.N. Vinod, besides handing over a life term for the seven accused, also slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on all the accused.
The accused include A. Prashanth, A.P. Vineesh, Lyju, Muthu, Anilkumar, Vijilesh and Mahesh.
Read More: CPI(M) Workers Brutally Injured in a Series of Attacks in Kerala
