Thiruvananthapuram: In a rare and significant development, a court in Alappuzha has handed down death sentences to 15 individuals accused of the murder of BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan.
The culprits, associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), were found guilty in a case that not only resulted in a brutal crime but also played a pivotal role in the subsequent ban of PFI in the country.
The verdict was delivered by Judge VG Sreedevi of the Additional District Sessions Court I, Mavelikkara.
The murder, which occurred in 2021, shocked the nation, prompting a thorough investigation that revealed the involvement of PFI and SDPI members. Last week, the Additional Sessions Court in Mavelikkara had already found all 15 accused guilty in connection with the case. The police had presented 14 of the accused in court, with the 10th accused, Navas, admitted to Medical College Thiruvananthapuram for medical reasons. The investigation determined that the first eight accused were directly involved in the murder.
The court, recognizing the severity of the crime, not only imposed death sentences on the guilty parties but also handed down life sentences for certain individuals in addition to the capital punishment. The accused, Naisam, Ajmal, Anoop, Mohammed Aslam, Abdul Kalam alias Salam, Abdul Kalam, Saffaruddin, Manshad, Jaseeb Raja, Navas, Sameer, Naseer, Zakkir Hussain, Poovathil Shaji, and Shernaz Ashraf, were all found responsible for their roles in the crime.
Following the verdict, all accused individuals, except Navas, were promptly transferred to jail.