THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a verdict that brings a closure to the trial in the Nanthancode mass murder that shook the state, the prosecution demanded for capital punishment. However the court awarded four life terms for the four murders. With another 12 years for different charges, he will have to serve a jail term of at least 30 years, pointed out the prosecution.
“The verdict is just. Although we expected a death sentence, we believe justice has been served. Cadell will have to stay behind bars for at least 30 years.The court took into account the severity of the crime, the planning involved, and the deliberate attempts to mislead police. This was not a crime of passion,” public prosecutor Dileep Sathyan told TNIE.
While many questioned how a man reportedly diagnosed with psychiatric disorders could be handed such a severe punishment or taken through all the trials, the law, as experts clarify, draws a firm line between mental illness and legal insanity.
“People often conflate mental illness with legal immunity. But the legal system is clear. Medical insanity is not the same as legal insanity. You can have a diagnosed condition and still be held accountable if you understand your actions,” said psychiatrist G Mohan Roy.
Legal insanity is very narrowly defined. At the time of the crime, the individual must be incapable of knowing the nature of the act or that it was wrong. “In Cadell’s case, the court found clear evidence of planning, manipulation, and concealment at the time of the crime.
These are not signs of someone detached from reality. He also admitted to the fact that he tried to mislead the police with the astral projection narrative,” added the psychiatrist. According to police, Cadell planned the murder, sourced weapon, watched videos to commit the crime, doused the house in fuel, which are all shown by a self-aware criminal.
“Just because someone has shown signs of mental illness doesn’t mean they’re incapable of knowing right from wrong. From the start, Cadell showed full awareness. He pleaded innocence in court but showed no remorse. The attempt to use age as a mitigating factor was frankly absurd. We expected the death penalty that is how horrific the crime was,” said K E Baiju, the then-investigating officer, now Kozhikode Rural SP.
The psychiatrist added that before any trial can begin, courts must determine whether an accused is fit to stand trial. This means they understand the charges, can follow proceedings, and communicate with their lawyer. All of which Cadell could do.
When mental illness meets the law
Medical insanity refers to any diagnosed mental health condition. It could be schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, or any other clinical psychiatric issue. But a medical diagnosis alone does not make someone legally unaccountable for their actions.
Legal insanity, on the other hand is specific. It applies only when, at the time of committing the crime, the individual is incapable of understanding what they are doing, or that what they are doing is wrong or illegal. The focus is on the mental state during the act of crime and after it, not just the existence of a mental health history, says G Mohan Roy, psychiatrist.
