THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The verdict in the Nanthancode mass murder case has been postponed to Thursday by the Sixth Additional District Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram. The judgment, originally scheduled for Tuesday, involves the brutal killing of four family members in April 2017.
The accused, Kedal Jinson Raja, a resident of Nanthancode, is charged with murdering his parents, Jean Padma and Raja Thangam, his sister Caroline, and a relative named Lalitha. The victims were killed over two days — April 5 and 6, 2017. Three of them were found burnt, while one body was wrapped in bed sheets inside the house.
During the police investigation, Kedal initially claimed the killings were related to his attempts at astral projection — a belief in out-of-body experiences. However, investigators concluded that the murders were pre-planned and driven by personal animosity toward his family.
Following the incident, Kedal fled to Chennai but was arrested after he returned to Thiruvananthapuram. He has been in custody at Poojappura Central Jail since his arrest.
Kedal’s defense team argued that he was suffering from mental health issues at the time of the crime. The court will deliver its final judgment on Thursday.