Court awards life sentence to accused Shyamjith in Vishnupriya murder case

KANNUR: The court awarded life imprisonment to the accused in Vishnupriya murder case in Panoor. The Thalassery additional district sessions court had earlier found the accused Shyamjith guilty in the murder case. He was also imprisoned for ten years for barging into the house. A fine has also been imposed.

The prosecution said that he was happy with the verdict. He was found guilty under sections 302 and 449 of the IPC. Under Section 449, he was sentenced for 10 ten years and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000. If he fails to pay the fine, he will have to undergo additional imprisonment of one more month. He has been awarded life sentence for the murder. Moreover, he should pay an amount of Rs 2 lakh to Vishnupriya's family. Failure to do so will result in additional six months of imprisonment. It is enough to undergo the punishment in both the sections together.

The Thalassery Additional District Sessions Court had found Shyamjith guilty the other day. The sentencing was then adjourned for today. The prosecution had sought death penalty for the accused. The prosecution had earlier said that being able to produce clear witness statements and evidence would help Shyamjith get the maximum sentence.

Shyamjith was Vishnupriya's former friend. The crucial evidence in the case was the video footage of him entering her house. She was killed on October 22, 2022. The body was found in the bedroom of her house around 12 noon. She was at her ancestral house for the funeral rites of her close relative. She came home to change clothes in the morning.

Shyamjith reached home while she was on a WhatsApp video call to her friend in Ponnani. She had told her friend that Shyamettan has come and would do something to her. The phone got disconnected soon. Shyamjith had also planned to kill this friend as well.

Shyamjith, who came with lethal weapons in his bag, entered the bedroom and slashed her throat. Her mother, who came in search of her, found her lying in a pool of blood. The accused was arrested during the subsequent investigation.

CCTV visuals of the youth buying a hammer and gloves from a shop in Koothuparambu two days before the murder, was obtained. The prosecution produced the visuals in the court and this also turned vital evidence in the case.