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Kerala HC halts 5-year sentence for 4 CPI(M) leaders in Periya double murder case
The court was hearing a case related to the murder of Youth Congress workers Kripesh, 19, and Sarath Lal P.K., 24, by assailants allegedly connected to the CPI(M) on February 17, 2019
Kochi: The Kerala high court on Wednesday put a hold the five-year imprisonment awarded to four members of the CPI(M) in the case in which two Youth Congress activists were murdered in 2019.
The division bench of Justices P.B. Suresh Kumar and Jobin Sebastian suspended the sentence awarded to the convicts — Kunhiraman, K. Manikandan, Raghavan Velutholi, and A.V. Bhaskaran — following their appeal against the conviction by the Ernakulam Special CBI Court.
The court was hearing a case related to the murder of Youth Congress workers Kripesh, 19, and Sarath Lal P.K., 24, by assailants allegedly connected to the CPI(M) on February 17, 2019, in Periya.
The Special CBI Court had awarded double life terms to 10 other accused for their involvement in the murders of Kripesh and Lal. Kunhiraman and the three others were found guilty of helping an accused escape from a police vehicle following the crime.
The CBI concluded that the accused had conspired to eliminate the two Youth Congress activists, escalating political tensions in the area.
On December 28, the Ernakulam CBI Court found eight persons guilty of murder and conspiracy charges and six others guilty of conspiracy, destruction of evidence, and providing assistance to the main assailants. A total of 10 persons were acquitted.
Also Read: Kerala twin murder case: CBI court finds former CPI(M) MLA and 13 others guilty
CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan welcomed the high court verdict and described the charges against his party colleagues as “politically motivated.”
“The High Court verdict is a big relief for us. We will file appeals against the convictions of others by the CBI and move ahead,” he said.
