THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The prosecution has urged the Additional district and sessions court to pronounce capital punishment on the two accused found guilty in the sensational Radio Jockey Rajesh murder case. The verdict will be pronounced on Friday. The court had earlier found Muhammed Salih and Appunni, the first and second accused respectively, guilty of murdering Rajesh at his studio in Madavoor on March 18, 2018.
Prosecutor Geena Kumari argued that the case fell in the category of rarest of the rare. The murder of a man, who was a total stranger to the accused, cannot be justified by any means. She said the two had criminal antecedents and hence capital punishment should be given to them.
The defence counsel argued that the accused have been in jail for the last six years and added that their young age should be taken into consideration and they should be given a chance to repent for their crime.
The court meanwhile observed that the prosecution henceforth should produce a report regarding the criminal antecedents of the accused and their financial condition. This will help while preparing the judgment as the court can avoid creating a scenario where a fine is imposed on the accused, which is beyond their means.
The murder was committed by a quotation gang led by Appunni, who was engaged by Salih. Salih was an employee of Abdul Sathar, who is the prime accused and is still at large.
Rajesh, while working in Qatar, had an extramarital affair with Sathar's wife. The relationship between Sathar and his wife deteriorated due to this affair. The purported relation had allegedly led to the contract killing. For that, Sathar employed his trusted man Salih to prepare a plan and execute it.
The court had acquitted nine other accused for want of evidence.