KOLLAM: The Kollam Additional Sessions Court on Tuesday found Sajeev, alias Kali Sajeev, a native of Pattathanam, guilty of murdering RSS leader Santhosh in 1997. Sajeev is the second accused in the case. The court is set to pronounce the sentence on Wednesday.
According to the prosecution, Sajeev, along with the other accused, attacked Santhosh with a sword, inflicting fatal injuries to his neck and other parts of his body. The murder was motivated by political rivalry, linked to the earlier killing of DYFI leader Sunil Kumar, in which Santhosh was an accused.
Santhosh was attacked around 8.45 pm on November 24, 1997, at Manichithode in Pattathanam, while he was with his friend Vijayakumar. The prosecution stated that CPM activists targeted Santhosh in retaliation for the murder of Sunil Kumar, an office-bearer of the DYFI Apsara Junction unit.
On the night of the murder, Santhosh and Vijayakumar had attended an RSS Shakha meeting at Parvathiyar Junction and were heading to Chemman Junction on a bicycle when the assailants, following them in an Ambassador car, hit their bicycle from behind. Sajeev then slashed Santhosh with a sword and attacked Vijayakumar with a stick before fleeing the scene. Public Prosecutor V Vinod appeared for the prosecution.