The 2019 murders of Kripesh and Sarath Lal in Periya, Kasaragod, shocked Kerala, with alleged political involvement. Following a Supreme Court order, the CBI took over the case and implicated several CPI(M) leaders in its charge sheet
Published Dec 28, 2024 | 12:24 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 28, 2024 | 2:25 PM
CBI
In a landmark judgment on Saturday, the Ernakulam CBI Special Court convicted 14 individuals in the brutal killings of Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sarath Lal, known as the Periya twin murder case.
The verdict comes nearly 20 months after the trial began, marking a significant moment in Kerala’s political and judicial landscape.
The murder cases were first investigated by the local police, then Crime Branch and then the CBI. The Crime Branch had submitted their charge sheet to the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Hosdurg and it listed 14 accused. After the family alleged foulplay in the investigation and demanded a comprehensive inquiry including the conspiracy angle, the Kerala High Court directed the CBI to take over the investigation.
The LDF government staunchly opposed the move and challenged it in the High Court and then at the Supreme Court, but the courts dismissed the said pleas.
The court found 14 of the 24 accused guilty, including the first eight, who were directly involved in the murders, and several others who facilitated the crime. Among those convicted is KV Kunhiraman, a former MLA and a member of the CPI(M) Kasaragod district secretariat.
The remaining 10 accused were acquitted after the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them.
The case dates back to 17 February, 2019, when Kripesh and Sarath Lal were hacked to death by a group of motorcycle-borne assailants in Periya, Kasaragod. The gruesome killings shocked the state, with allegations of political involvement surfacing early on. Following a Supreme Court directive, the investigation was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which later implicated several prominent CPI(M) leaders in its charge sheet.
The verdict is likely to send ripples through Kerala’s political circles, especially within the CPI(M), as it highlights the involvement of key party figures.
The court has deferred the pronouncement of the quantum of punishment to 3 January, 2025.
The accused were :
1. Peethambaran
2. Saji George
3. Suresh
4. Anil Kumar
5. Gijin
6. Srirag
7. Ashwin
8. Subeesh
9. Murali
10. Ranjith
11. Pradeep
12. Alakot Mani
13. N. Balakrishnan
14. Manikandan
15. Surendran alias Vishnu Sura
16. Raji Varghese
17. Shasta Madhu
18. Hariprasad
19. Rajesh alias Raju
20. K.V. Kunhiraman
21. Raghavan Velutholi
22. K.V. Bhaskaran
23. Gopakumar Velutholi
24. Sandeep Velutholi
The court stated that the murder charge has been proven against the accused one to eight.
Among those found guilty, except the first eight accused, the others were charged with destroying evidence, helping the accused escape, and conspiracy.
In the case of KV Kunhiraman, he was found guilty of trying to forcefully take the second accused out of the police station.
As tensions run high in the politically sensitive Kasaragod district, authorities have implemented stringent security measures to maintain law and order.
On Friday evening, a route march was conducted in Kalyot, led by ASP Aparna and Bekal Dy SP VV Manoj, with the participation of over 100 police officers, including Circle Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors.
Police patrolling and vehicle inspections have been intensified across Periya, Kalyot, and Kumbala, to prevent any untoward incidents. The regions remain under heavy surveillance as the public and political leaders await further developments in the case.
The Periya twin murder case has long been a flashpoint in Kerala politics, symbolising deep political rivalries and raising questions about accountability and justice.
With the verdict now delivered, all eyes are on the sentencing phase, which could have far-reaching implications for the state’s political landscape.
The Periya double murder case verdict has triggered a political storm in Kerala, with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress trading barbs over the gruesome killings of Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sarath Lal.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan denied any involvement of the government or the CPI(M) in the murders, stating that several innocent individuals had been wrongly implicated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
He added that those affected would seek legal recourse to clear their names. However, Congress leaders launched scathing attacks against the CPI(M), accusing its leadership of orchestrating the murders.
Rajmohan Unnithan, Congress MP from Kasaragod, alleged that the killings were not impulsive but premeditated, carried out with the tacit approval of the CPI (M)’s top political executive.
He vowed that the Congress would continue its efforts to expose the “conspirators” within the CPI(M)’s top leadership.
Youth Congress State President and MLA Rahul Mamkootathil claimed that the CPI(M) had attempted to sabotage the investigation by influencing key players.
He alleged that the party lured senior Congress leader and lawyer CK Sreedharan into its fold, offering him membership in exchange for defending the murder suspects.
Sreedharan, he said, cross-examined the victims’ family members in court, adding to their trauma.
Shafi Parambil, Congress MP from Vadakara and the State Youth Congress president when the murders occurred, accused a local CPI(M) leader of forcibly releasing one of the suspects from police custody during the early stages of the investigation.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan criticised the CPI (M) and the Kerala government following the CBI court’s verdict convicting 14 individuals in the Periya double murder case.
Addressing the media on Saturday, he accused the CPM of orchestrating the murders and spending around ₹1 crore of public funds to shield the accused.
He alleged that the CPM not only planned the murders but also conspired to hide the culprits, destroy evidence, and misuse the police to protect them.
“This verdict is a moral victory for the families of Kripesh and Sharatlal and the Congress party, who fought for justice,” he said, adding that the families will appeal against the acquittal of 10 other accused.
He demanded the CPM state committee repay the public money spent to save the accused and called for an apology from the Chief Minister and the party.
“Kerala hangs its head in shame as a party that brutally murders and protects criminals is ruling the state,” he added.
Meanwhile, the families of Kripesh and Sarath Lal refrained from immediate comments on the verdict, stating they would respond after the court announced the quantum of punishment.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
