‘Expect the accused to get death penalty’; decision on appeal after verdict is pronounced, say family of Sarath Lal

KOCHI: The verdict in the Periya double murder case in Kasaragod will be pronounced today by judge N Seshadrinathan of the special CBI court in Kochi. Amrita, sister of dead Sarath Lal, responded that she expects the accused to be awarded death sentence. While talking to a media, she said the CBI investigated the case well.

Sarath Lal's mother said that she expects her children to get justice. The family said a decision will be taken whether to go for appeal after the verdict is pronounced. The court had earlier found 14 accused, including CPM leaders Uduma former MLA K V Kunhiraman and Kanhangad Block Panchayat President K Manikandan, guilty in the case. In addition, 10 accused were acquitted.

Youth Congress activists Sarath Lal (23) and Kripesh (19), who were on a bike, were stopped and hacked to death. The investigation team found that the aim of the crime was to prevent their political growth and that of the youth congress. The two was murdered in February 2019.

The first eight accused directly involved in the murder were found guilty under IPC sections 302 (murder). A Peethambaran, Saji C George, K M Suresh, K Anilkumar (Abu), Jijin, R Srirag (Kuttu), A Ashwin (Appu) and Subeesh (Mani) are accused from one to eight. The court had also observed that the 10th accused T Ranjith and the 15th accused A Surendran (Vishnu Sura) were involved in a conspiracy amounting to murder. The charges against the accused range from life imprisonment to death penalty.