Published Nov 02, 2024 | 4:12 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 02, 2024 | 4:12 PM
Thalassery court acquits 13 in 2005 murder case of RSS leader Aswini Kumar - Representational image
In a significant ruling, the Thalassery Additional District Court acquitted 13 of the 14 accused in the 2005 murder of Ashwini Kumar, an RSS leader, and found one individual guilty.
#Kerala: Update on the Murder Case of @RSSorg leader Aswini Kumar
In a significant development, the Thalassery Additional District Court has acquitted 13 of the 14 accused in the murder case of RSS leader Aswini Kumar, who was killed in March 2005 in Iritti Kizhoor, Kannur. The… pic.twitter.com/rn7jsKdh5l
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) November 2, 2024
Ashwini Kumar, the convenor of Hindu Aikya Vedi in Kannur and a teacher at Pragati Parallel College, was brutally stabbed to death on 10 March, 2005, while traveling on a bus near Iritty.
Reports indicate that a gang of unidentified assailants in a jeep attacked the bus, threw bombs to halt it, and subsequently dragged Ashwini out before stabbing him multiple times in broad daylight.
The assailants were reportedly affiliated with the National Development Front (NDF). The court convicted M.V. Marzook, identified as the third accused, while the remaining defendants were acquitted. Sentencing for Marzook is scheduled for 14 November.
The accused in the case include P.K. Aziz, 42, Nurul Ameen, 40, M.V. Marzook, 38, P.M.C. Siraj, 38, M.K. Yunus, 43, C.P. Ummar, 40, R.K. Ali, 45, T.K. Shameer, 38, Naufal, 39, Yakub, 42, Mustafa, 47, Basheer, 49, K. Shammas, 35, and K. Shah Nawaz, 40.
The investigation was led by Crime Branch officers P.K. Madhusudanan, K. Saleem, M. Damodaran, and D. Salli. A charge sheet was submitted in 2009.
Following the murder, the Kannur region experienced a surge in violence, including vandalism targeting commercial establishments in Iritty.
BJP State President K Surendran has alleged that the Kerala government’s collusion with the Popular Front led to the acquittal of all main accused in the Ashwini Kumar murder case.
Speaking at a press conference in Kalpetta, Surendran claimed that the state’s “criminal negligence” allowed the accused in Hindu Aikya Vedi leader Ashwini Kumar’s murder to escape.
He accused the CPI (M) of “vote bank politics” with the Popular Front and condemned the Home Department’s handling of the case.
Surendran highlighted that Ashwini Kumar’s mother had petitioned the High Court to transfer the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), but the state opposed the move, which the NIA also dismissed based on the affidavit by the Crime Branch.
“This verdict is extremely disappointing and shows a clear failure of the Home Department,” Surendran added.
The prosecution announced plans to appeal the acquittal of the 13 defendants, continuing the pursuit of justice in this high-profile case.
(Edited by Ananya Rao with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
