Published Jul 13, 2026 | 12:26 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 13, 2026 | 12:26 PM
61-year-old Chenthamara was found guilty under sections 103(I) and 126(II) of the BNS by Judge Kenneth George.
Synopsis: Chenthamara, who is already serving a double-life sentence, had committed the murders while he was out on bail. The cops had a filed a 480-page chargesheet before the fast-track court. The family of the victims had alleged that police ignored repeated complaints about threats.
The Palakkad Additional District and Sessions Court-IV found Chenthamara, the sole accused in the sensational Pothundy-Nenmara double murder case, guilty on Monday. He was also slapped with a Rs 3.25 lakh fine.
Chenthamara was found guilty under sections 103(I) and 126(II) of the BNS by Judge Kenneth George. The 61-year-old told the court that he be hanged for his crimes.
The court will pronounce the sentence in the case relating to the murders of Chenthamara’s neighbours, Sudhakaran and his mother Lakshmi, on July 15.
The sentencing, which was initially scheduled earlier this month, was postponed after the judge reported health issues.
The fast-track trial began on February 26, 2026, and was completed within four months.
During the proceedings, the prosecution examined 81 witnesses. Three witnesses, including the accused’s brother, sister-in-law and a neighbour, turned hostile, while several others had earlier shifted to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, reportedly fearing for their safety if the accused was released on bail.
The case dates back to January 27, 2025, when Chenthamara allegedly entered the victims’ house at Pothundy in Nenmara and hacked Sudhakaran (55) and his 75-year-old mother Lakshmi to death with a machete.
The killings sparked outrage across Kerala, with the victims’ family accusing the police of ignoring repeated complaints about threats from the accused despite being out on bail.
According to the prosecution, the double murder was the culmination of a long-standing grudge.
Chenthamara had earlier murdered Sudhakaran’s wife, Sajitha, on August 31, 2019, believing, out of superstition, that her family was responsible for the breakdown of his marriage and had practised witchcraft against him. He was arrested in that case but was later released on bail. While on bail, he allegedly continued threatening Sudhakaran and his family before carrying out the 2025 double murder.
The police later filed a 480-page chargesheet in the case, relying on scientific evidence, including DNA traces recovered from the murder weapon and bloodstains found on the accused’s clothes. Investigators also submitted medical records to establish that Chenthamara was not suffering from any mental illness.
In October 2025, Chenthamara was convicted in the Sajitha murder case and sentenced to double life imprisonment, along with five years’ imprisonment for the destruction of evidence.
While declining to award the death penalty in that case, the court observed that he had a “persistent criminal tendency”, found no evidence of mental illness, and remarked that there was “no hope of repentance or reform”. The court had also noted that he allegedly committed the double murder while on bail in the Sajitha case.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
