KANNUR: The additional sessions court in Thalassery sentenced nine RSS-BJP activists, found guilty in the case of murdering DYFI activist Rijith (26) of Kannapuram, to life.
Those found guilty were V V Sudhakaran (56), K T Jayesh (41), C P Renjith (44), P P Ajeendran (51), I V Anil Kumar (52), P P Rajesh (46), V V Sreekanth (47), V V Sreejith (43), and T V Bhaskaran (67).
Rijith's mother told media that she expected the court to award the accused death penalty but was relieved by the verdict. She clarified that no political party should take murder knife and this verdict should be a lesson to others.
The court found the accused guilty under sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder (302), attempt to murder (307), unlawful assembly (143), rioting (147), restraint (341) and wounding (324) of the Indian Penal Code.
Rijith of Alachi House and branch member of CPM Kannapuram Chunda was murdered on October 3 in 2005 at 9 pm. He was attacked near the panchayat well when he was walking home from Thachankandi temple. His friends Nikesh, Vimal, Vikas and Sajevan sustained injuries in the attack. Rijith was killed following a violent clash over the opening of an RSS branch.