THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The additional sessions court here on Wednesday found the first and second accused in the 2019 murder of autorickshaw driver K S Anilkumar at Barton Hill guilty of the charge. The quantum of the sentence will be pronounced on Friday. However, Additional district judge K Lilly, who convicted the duo, acquitted the third accused Mary Rajan and the fourth accused Rajesh for want of evidence.
Eyewitnesses, including the brother of AnilkKumar, had turned hostile. During the trial, the prosecution submitted CCTV footage to strengthen the case. In addition, the call data records(CDR) and the locations of the accused documented by Kerala Land Information Mission were submitted by the prosecution. The police had registered a case against the first witness who had turned hostile. However, the witness filed a petition before the High Court for getting the case quashed, but this was rejected by the court.
Anilkumar, 38, was hacked to death at Law College Junction on March 24,2019. Personal enmity harboured by the accused towards the victim led to the killing, according to the prosecution case.
Second accused Manoj, the third accused Mary Rajan and fourth accused Rajesh are still in jail. The first accused was released on bail. Following the subsequent investigation, the team arraigned two more persons on the charge of helping the first accused abscond.