According to the prosecution, the motive behind the murder was the resentment towards Aneesh, who belonged to a marginalised caste, for marrying Haritha, a woman from a privileged caste. The incident occurred on 25 December, 2020.
Published Oct 25, 2024 | 4:06 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 25, 2024 | 4:06 PM
Aneesh and Haritha.
A court in Kerala, on Friday, 25 October, found the two accused guilty in the infamous 2020 honour killing of Aneesh in Thenkurissi of the Palakkad district over an intercaste marriage.
The court declared Padma Kumar and Suresh Kumar — father and uncle respectively of Aneesh’s wife Haritha — guilty of murder. The sentencing is scheduled for Saturday.
According to the prosecution, the motive behind the was the resentment towards Aneesh, who belonged to a marginalised caste, for marrying Haritha, a woman from a privileged caste. The incident occurred on 25 December, 2020.
Suresh Kumar is the primary accused in the case while Padma Kumar is the second accused.
Aneesh was hacked to death by Padma Kumar at around 6.30 pm on 25 December, 2020. Aneesh’s brother Arun was an eyewitness to the murder.
On the day, the brothers were travelling on a bike and made a stop near a shop. At that time, the accused persons hacked Aneesh and attempted to hack Arun.
Aneesh was declared brought dead at a hospital nearby. Following the incident, Padma Kumar fled from the spot and was later arrested from near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Suresh Kumar was also arrested.
Aneesh was killed hardly three months after his marriage with Haritha. After the preliminary probe itself, the police had declared it an honour killing.
According to a report by Onmanorama, Aneesh and Haritha decided to get married after a relationship which started during school days. Even though the couple wanted to get married with the support of their families, Padma Kumar rejected Aneesh’s proposal.
Padma Kumar had also threatened Aneesh with dire consequences in the event of marriage with his daughter Haritha.
Soon after the marriage, Haritha’s family, especially Padma Kumar, started threatening Aneesh. At one point he had also declared that the marriage wouldn’t last for over three months, which in turn became true after the murder of Aneesh.
Following the threats, Aneesh had also filed a police complaint but they did not act upon it.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
