THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Additional District and Sessions Court here on Tuesday sentenced seven persons, including three brothers, to life imprisonment for murdering Anil Kumar alias Azhagan Ani of Kuriathi in 2005.
They have also been awarded seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for seriously injuring Baburaj, a friend of Anil Kumar. The punishments can be undergone concurrently.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Kausar Edappagath had acquitted two persons of murder charges for lack of evidence, while finding these seven guilty, on Monday. The court awarded life imprisonment to S Sunil Kumar, S Sree Kumar, S Saji Kumar, R Sekhar, Rajesh and Prasanth of Kuriathi and R Pradeep of Mammenthuruth, near Neendakara. The court set S Siva Kumar and S Suresh Kumar of Kuriathi free. Sunil Kumar, Sree Kumar and Saji Kumar are brothers.
Anil Kumar, a CPM worker, was hacked to death on June 5, 2005 following an altercation with the accused which was the result of a dispute regarding a path. The accused had alleged that the functioning of their flour mill was getting disrupted owing to the presence of the Janakeeya Library at Puthenkotta in Kuriathi, near here. The tension entered a violent phase when the accused tried to demolish the library building and a group of people, including Anil Kumar and Baburaj, resisted the move.
Special prosecutor S Vijayakumar and counsel Kattayikkonam Ajith Prasad and Chandavila Shameer appeared for the prosecution in the case.
The court accepted 76 documents and 37 material objects as evidence, while 44 persons were cross-examined.