Ranjith Sreenivasan case verdict: 15 accused get death sentence; first time in Kerala judiciary system
Ranjith Sreenivasan was brutally murdered in his residence near Alappuzha, as attackers invaded his home in the presence of his mother, wife, and daughter. The verdict in the murder case of Alappuzha lawyer and BJP OBC leader Ranjith Sreenivasan has made history in the state's judicial system.
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Alappuzha: The verdict in the murder case of Alappuzha lawyer and BJP OBC leader Ranjith Sreenivasan has made history in the state's judicial system. In an unprecedented move, the court has sentenced all 15 accused to death. Ranjith Sreenivasan, who served as the state secretary of the BJP OBC Morcha, was brutally murdered. This landmark ruling marks the first instance in the state's judicial history where such a large number of accused individuals have been collectively sentenced to death. The verdict was delivered by Mavelikkara Additional Sessions Judge VG Sreedevi.
What is Ranjith Sreenivasan's murder case:
On December 19, 2021, Ranjith Sreenivasan was brutally murdered in his residence near Vellakkinar, Alappuzha, as attackers invaded his home in the presence of his mother, wife, and daughter. The assault was perceived as retaliation for the killing of SDPI State Secretary KS Shan, who was fatally attacked on December 18 of the same year in Mannancherry, Alappuzha.
Alappuzha DySP NR Jayaraj, completed the investigation and submitted the charge sheet. The prosecution examined 156 witnesses and about a thousand documents were produced, including fingerprints, CCTV footage, route maps, etc. The court determined that the primary eight accused were directly involved in the murder, while the remaining individuals were found guilty of criminal conspiracy. The convicted individuals include Nizam, Ajmal, Anoop, Md Aslam, Salam, Abdul Kalam, Safaruddin, Munshad, Jazeeb, Navaz, Shemir, Nazeer, Zakir Hussain, Shaji, and Shamnaz.
Accused do not deserve mercy:
The judge said that the accused did not deserve any mercy. 14 out of 15 accused were present during the verdict. The other accused has been admitted to the hospital due to health issues. The family of Ranjith Sreenivasan said that they are satisfied with the verdict of the court. Ranjith's wife thanked the investigation team and prosecution for the justice. The District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John, responded that the verdict was a great achievement for the police. The political leaders including BJP state president K Surendran also supported the verdict.
Highest number of death sentences pronounced previously in India:
The 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case saw the highest number of death sentences in the Indian justice system. The trial court sentenced 38 people to death in this case. Terrorist and Disruptive Activities court awarded a death sentence to 26 people in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. In 2010, the court sentenced 16 people to death in the gang rape case of a Dalit girl in Bihar. The court has sentenced seven people to death in the Ujjain blast case.
