TP Chandrasekharan murder case: No death penalty for convicts
The High Court sentenced one to six accused to 20 years imprisonment in the Chandrasekharan murder case today. On May 4, 2012, while riding his bike home in Vallikad, close to Vadakara, Chandrasekaran, the founder and head of RMP, was fatally hacked by a gang.
FollowKochi: The High Court sentenced one to six accused to 20 years imprisonment in the T. P Chandrasekharan murder case today. The High Court sentenced six accused, including MC Anoop, the first accused in the case, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, T K Rajeesh, and Mohammad Shafi, to double life imprisonment. Their life imprisonment was increased to double life imprisonment. The court also ruled that the accused should not be granted parole. The 10th accused, KK Krishnan, and the 12th accused, Jyothi Babu, who were found guilty by the High Court, were sentenced to life imprisonment. The accused have to pay Rs 7.5 lakh to the victim's wife and Rs 5 lakh to his son.
The accused, M. C. Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, T. K Rajeesh, Mohammad Shafi, Annan Sijith, K Shinoj, K C Ramachandran, Trouser Manoj, CPM Panur area committee member P K Kunhanandan and 18th accused P V Rafeeq, were earlier sentenced to life imprisonment. The High Court had also found conspiracy to murder against the first to fifth accused and the seventh accused. During the arguments related to increasing the punishment of the accused, the High Court stated that the murder of TP Chandrasekaran was an attack on democracy and the rule of law.
The High Court stated that political murders cannot be taken lightly and the murders given maximum punishment to the accused in such cases should be stopped. At the same time, the defense informed the court that political killings are not uncommon in Kerala.
The court asked the accused, who were produced in court yesterday if they had any reason not to give the death penalty. But the defendants argued that they were innocent, that he should plead to live with his wife and children, and that the punishment should be reduced. At the same time, the prosecution has demanded that maximum punishment be given to the accused, and the report of the prison authorities who examined the mental and physical condition of the accused has been presented to the court.
On May 4, 2012, while riding his bike home in Vallikad, close to Vadakara, Chandrasekaran, the founder and head of RMP, was fatally hacked by a gang. The case involved those accused, who are CPM members, hacking Chandrasekharan to death out of resentment for him quitting the party and founding the RMP at Onchiyam.
The Kozhikode Additional Session Court had in 2014 sentenced 11 accused to life imprisonment and awarded a three-year jail term to one accused. The accused, M C Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, T K Rajeesh, Mohammad Shafi, Annan Sijith, K Shinoj, K C Ramachandran, Trouser Manoj, CPM Panur area committee member P K Kunhanandan and P V Rafeeq were sentenced to life imprisonment and slapped with a fine. Meanwhile, Lambu Pradeepan, a native of Kannur, was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment. Of the accused, Kunjanandan died in June 2020 while serving his prison sentence.
