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Eight CPM workers have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2005 murder of BJP worker Sooraj in Kannur. The Thalassery Principal Sessions Court found them guilty of direct involvement and conspiracy in the politically motivated crime.
Kannur: The Thalassery Principal Sessions Court has sentenced eight CPM workers to life imprisonment in connection with the 2005 murder of BJP worker Sooraj. The convicted individuals—TK Rajeesh, NV Yogesh, K Shamjith, Manoraj, Sajeevan, Prabhakaran, KV Padmanabhan, and Radhakrishnan—were found guilty of direct involvement in the crime and conspiracy. Additionally, the court sentenced the 11th accused, who was found guilty of helping the first accused escape, to three years in prison.
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Sooraj, a 32-year-old man, was murdered on August 7, 2005, reportedly due to his shift from the CPM to the BJP, which led to animosity within the local CPM faction. The attack on Sooraj followed a previous assault six months earlier, where he was hacked in the leg and bedridden for an extended period. After recovering from his injuries, Sooraj was once again attacked and killed by CPM workers.
The court convicted five individuals for the murder itself and four others for conspiring to carry out the crime. The case initially involved ten accused, but based on a confession by TK Rajeesh, further investigation revealed two additional suspects, including Manoraj Narayanan. PK Shamsuddin, the first accused, and TP Raveendran, the twelfth accused, had died before the trial concluded, reducing the number of active accused to ten.
Despite the convictions, CPM District Secretary MV Jayarajan has claimed the innocence of the accused and expressed plans to appeal the court’s decision.
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