'Cruel and Barbaric'; Kerala HC enhances convicts' punishment in TP murder case

KOCHI: The High Court enhanced the existing punishment of convicts who egregiously hacked RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan 51 times to death in one of the most debated political murders of Kerala.

Disgraced CPM leaders K K Krishnan and Jyoti Babu got life imprisonment. The main accused M.C. Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, TK Rajish, Mohammad Shafi, K. and Shinoj will now serve double life imprisonment. A fine of Rs 2 lakh has been imposed on 13 accused. One of the convict CPM leaders Kunjananthan died while serving a jail sentence, so it should be his widow Shantha who will have to pay the fine.

The crucial verdict from the court concurred exactly on the day when CPM announced their list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The verdict is a setback for CPM while it should be seen how the congress camp will make the most of the chance to take CPM to task.

The court considered the murder to be cruel, and barbaric and said it posed a threat to society. Albeit the gore pattern of murder, the court omitted the case from the extremely concerning category, thereby also taking away the chances of the death penalty for convicts.

The appeal of the accused to rescind the sentence passed by the Sessions Court was dismissed. Meanwhile, the judgment of the Division Bench Comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Kauser Edappagathhas partially allowed the appeals filed by the government and TP's wife KK Rema seeking enhancement in the current sentence. KK Rema and the accused were present in the court to hear the sentence. Ailing Jyoti Babu heard the verdict online.

The order states that the six persons who were given double life sentences and others including K.C. Ramachandran, Trouser Manoj and Sijith who received life sentences should not be released before the completion of 20 years. Keeping in view the health condition of KK Krishnan and Jyoti Babu, a more drastic stand was not taken.

Out of the amount settled by the accused, Rs 7 and a half lakh should be paid to Rema while Rs 5 lakhs should be paid to her son Abhinand.