KOCHI: The NIA Court here on Saturday sentenced the five persons convicted in the Mavelikkara Maoist meeting case to three years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI). This is the first conviction in a Maoist-related case registered in the state.
NIA Judge S Santhosh Kumar also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on Rajesh Madhavan, 39, a native of Mavelikkara; Gopal, 56, retired scientist of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalppakam, and a native of Chennai; Devarajan, 56, of Mayyanadu, Kollam; Bahuleyan, 54, of Chirayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram, and Ajaya Kumar alias Mannor Ajayan, 55, of Airapuram, Muvattupuzha.
“The accused are found guilty of the offences punishable under Sections 10, 13, 38 and 39 of UAPA. The first accused is found not guilty of the offence punishable under Section 363 of IPC and all accused are found not guilty of offences punishable under Section 120B and 124A of IPC. Considering the nature and circumstance of the case, the court does not find any reason to invoke the Probation of Offenders Act,” the court said.
If the accused fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment. The court also found the accused were members of Revolutionary Democratic Front, a cover organisation for CPI(Maoist).
NIA prosecutor P G Manu said the NIA could successfully establish offences under the UAPA against the accused. “The prosecution case against the accused could be correctly established. This was one of the first convictions in the cases registered against any Maoist group in Kerala,” he said. The accused were later released on bail.
As per the norms, convicts sentenced to up to three years’ imprisonment can be granted bail for one month, till they approach a higher court. The trial, which commenced last year, was completed in a year. As many as 51 witnesses and 214 documents were examined by the court.
The accused were arrested after the police raided a meeting at the Cherumadom lodge in Mavelikkara on December 29, 2012. The material objects seized from Delhi University professor G N Saibaba were also used in the Mavelikkara case as evidence to prove that RDF is a frontal organisation of CPI(Maoist).