Kerala: 14 convicted, 10 acquitted in Periya twin murder case; sentencing set for January 1
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Dec 28, 2024, 11:49 AM ISTA CBI court in Kochi found 14 people, including 6 CPM leaders, guilty of murdering two Youth Congress workers in Periya in 2019. Sentencing is set for January 1, 2024.
Kochi: In the Periya twin murder case, the CBI court here has found 14 individuals guilty, including the first eight accused, while ten others were acquitted. The court's verdict, delivered by Ernakulam CBI Court Judge N. Seshadrinathan, concluded that the first eight accused, including former CPM Periya Local Committee member A. Peethambaran, were guilty of the murders of Kripesh and Sarath Lal, two Youth Congress workers. The sentencing for those convicted will be announced on January 1, 2024.
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Among the 14 convicted, six are prominent leaders of the CPM. The convicted include Peethambaran, the mastermind behind the murder, as well as Saji C. George (Saji), K.M. Suresh, K. Anil Kumar (Abu), Jijin, R. Sreerag (Kutty), A. Ashwin (Appu), and Subeesh (Mani), who were found guilty of carrying out the killings. Also convicted were T. Ranjith, K. Manikandan (former Udma Area Secretary and Kanhangad Block Panchayat President), A. Surendran (Vishnu Sura), K.V. Kunhiraman (former Udma MLA and CPM District Secretariat member), Raghavan Velutholi (former Pakkam Local Secretary), and K.V. Bhaskaran.
The case stems from the brutal murders of Kripesh and Sarath Lal, who were hacked to death by a group of eight on February 17, 2019, in Periya. After the murders, Peethambaran and his associate C.J. Saji were arrested. Initially, the case was handled by the local Crime Branch, but dissatisfied with the progress of the investigation, the victims' parents approached the High Court, demanding a CBI probe.
Following the High Court’s order, the case was transferred to the CBI on September 30, 2019, after a division bench upheld the decision, despite the state's appeal. The CBI took over the investigation and, after nearly two years, submitted a charge sheet on December 3, 2021, listing 24 accused, including CPM leader K.V. Kunhiraman. The trial began in the Kochi CBI court on February 2, 2023.
The verdict comes after a lengthy investigation, with charges including murder, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence against the accused.
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