Life term for five RSS activists in Deepak murder case

KOCHI: Five RSS activists in Nattika Deepak murder case has been awarded life sentence. The division bench of the Kerala High Court awarded the life sentence. The accused in the case had earlier been acquitted by the trial court.

Accused one to five identified as Peringottukkara Marottikkal M S Rishikesh, Padiyamkootala house K U Nijil (Kunjappu), Thekkekkara Kochath K P Prashanth (Kochu), Pookode Plakkil Rashanth, and Thaniyam Valaparambil V P Brashnev were acquitted.

The trial court had acquitted the accused on the grounds that the prosecution could not prove who the real accused were since it was a masked attack. The government and Deepak's family had approached the high court against the verdict.

The high court division bench had held that the trial court had not properly examined the evidence. The division bench had upheld the acquittal of accused six to 10, charged with inciting violence and destroying evidence.

Deepak was killed on the night of March 25, 2015 at Pazhuvil in Thrissur. He was the president of the Janata Dal (U) Nattika constituency. He also had a ration shop in his hometown. He was stabbed and hacked to death by the accused who arrived in a vehicle when he was trying to close the shop. The murder was the result of a dispute in Deepak joining the Janata Dal, who was in the BJP earlier.