KOCHI : In a significant turn of events surrounding the TP Chandrasekharan murder case of 2012, the High Court has announced its deliberation on the possibility of awarding capital punishment to the nine convicts currently serving life term.
The move marks a crucial juncture in the legal proceedings, reigniting public interest and scrutiny into one of the shocking political murders in the state.
The decision was taken on the plea by the state government and K K Rema, Vadakara MLA and Chandrasekharan’s wife, seeking maximum punishment to the accused.
Rema said the accused persons committed the murder in a planned and brutal manner by engaging professional criminals and after several attempts. Hence, the trial court ought to have given them maximum punishment, including capital punishment, and awarded heavy compensation to the victim, she said.
The division bench directed the jail superintendent to produce the nine life convicts in court in February to decide enhancement of their sentence. The bench also sought reports on the convicts from the probation officer concerned.
It also sought a report from superintendents of Kannur, Tavanur and Thrissur jails, where the nine are serving jail term, regarding the nature of the work the convicts did in jail.
A psychological and psychiatric evaluation report of M C Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, Rajeesh Thundikandi, K K Mohammed Shafi, Annan Sijith, K Shinoj and K C Ramachandran – accused 1 to 8 – and 11th accused Trouser Manojan from the government medical college or hospital should be filed on February 26, the court ordered.
On the conspiracy to kill Chandrasekharan, the bench said that there are reasonable grounds to believe that accused 1 to 8, 10th accused Krishnan, Manojan, 12th accused Geothi Babu and 13th accused late P K Kunhanandan, were members of the conspiracy. The trial court had earlier found Ramachandran, Geothi and Kunhanandan guilty of conspiracy.
‘Enough evidence against conspirators’
The HC said while there is direct and circumstantial evidence to connect accused 1 to 7 with the act of murder, there is also evidence of interaction between them and Ramachandran, Manojan, Geothi and Kunhanandan, both through physical meetings and telephone calls