Chenthamara awarded double life term in Sajitha murder case, fined Rs 3.25 lakh

PALAKKAD: Chenthamara, the accused in the Nenmara Sajitha murder case, was sentenced to double life imprisonment. A fine of Rs 3.25 has also been imposed on him. The quantum of sentence was pronounced by the Palakkad Sessions Court. He will have to undergo all the sentences together. The court pointed that this is not a rare case.

The court observed that the accused is likely to repeat the crime and there is no hope that he would change his behaviour and turn good. We don’t expect Chenthamara to pay the fine. The court also directed that the safety of witnesses should be ensured if there is a situation where bail should be granted to him.

Chenthamara was expressionless hearing the sentence. Nenmara MLA K Babu responded that he is happy with the verdict. He added that Chenthamara has a special kind of mentality and he had expected this verdict.

The prosecution had the other day demanded that the accused should not even be granted parole and should be given death penalty. The prosecution had informed the court that Chenthamara had killed two more while he was out on bail in the Sajitha murder case. However, the defense argued that the double murder should not be mixed up with this case.

Chenthamara alias Chenthamarakshan entered his neighbor Sajitha’s house in Boyans Colony at Pothundi in Nenmara and hacked her to death on August 31st in 2019. Chenthamara was very superstitious. An astrologer had told him that a woman with long hair was behind his wife’s estrangement from him. So, he suspected Sajitha and hacked her to death. Circumstantial evidence and the statements of fifty witnesses, including his wife’s, turned crucial in the case.

He murdered her when she was alone at home. On the day of the murder, her daughters were in school and Sudhakaran, her husband, a lorry driver, was in Tamil Nadu. When Sajitha was in the kitchen, Chenthamara came with a sword and hacked her brutally leading to her death. After confirming her death, he left the blood-stained sword at home and went hiding in the Nelliyampathy hills. The police arrested him when he came out from his hiding place after feeling hungry.

There were 68 witnesses in the case. Of these, 44 including Chenthamara’s wife, brother and daughter of dead Sajitha, were examined as witnesses. Chenthamara's footprints stained with blood found inside Sajitha's house were crucial in the case.

The charge sheet was filed in 2020. The examination of evidence began on August 4, 2025. Public Prosecutor M.J. Vijayakumar appeared for the prosecution. Chenthamara, who was on remand, had hacked Sajitha's husband Sudhakaran (55) and mother Lakshmi (75) to death on January 27, 2025, after being released on bail.

The charge sheet was filed in 2020. The witnesses trial began on August 4, 2025. Public Prosecutor M J Vijayakumar appeared for the prosecution. Chenthamara, who was on remand, had hacked Sajitha's husband Sudhakaran (55) and mother Lakshmi (75) to death on January 27, 2025, after being released on bail.