Kerala: 4 convicts of Ranjith Sreenivasan murder case move HC against death penalty

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Feb 28, 2024, 1:21 PM IST

Four accused in the Ranjith Sreenivasan murder case moved the Kerala High Court today seeking to nullify the death penalty. BJP OBC leader Ranjith Sreenivasan was brutally murdered on December 19, 2021.

Kochi: The convicts of the Ranjith Sreenivasan murder case have approached the High Court against the death sentence seeking to nullify the verdict. The Additional Sessions Court Mavelikkara, in a judgment on January 20, found the 15 accused, allegedly associated with SDPI, guilty of the murder of BJP leader and lawyer Ranjith Sreenivasan in December 2021.

Accused one to four namely Nizam, Ajmal, Anoop and Muhammad Aslam approached the High Court. The High Court issued notice to the government on the appeal and will consider the petition again on March 13.

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The Mavelikkara 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.

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.

Of the accused, 12 were found guilty under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 149 (Every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offense committed in prosecution of a common object) of the Indian Penal Code, while the remaining three were convicted under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Ranjith's body bore approximately 56 wounds, with his face rendered unrecognizable. The prosecution presented the argument in court that this case is exceptionally rare.

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