Kerala court sentences 15 PFI members to death in BJP leader murder case

The Mavelikkara Additional Sessions Court has sentenced 15 members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) to death in connection with the murder of BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan. All the accused are affiliated with the PFI and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).

The decision was announced by Mavelikkara Additional District Judge V G Sreedevi, who recognized the prosecution’s argument that this is an extremely rare case. Prathap G Padickal, the Special Public Prosecutor for the case, remarked, “The court, by accepting the argument of the prosecution that this is the rarest of the rare case, has given the death penalty to the 15 accused. A fine of 6 lakhs will be collected and provided to his wife and children. The evidence presented by the prosecution has been acknowledged.”

The convicted individuals are identified as Naisam, Ajmal, Anoop, Mohammad Aslam, Salam, Saffaruddin, Abdul Kalam, Manshad, Jaseeb Raja, Navas, Sameer, Nazir, Zakir Hussain, Shaji, and Shernas Ashraf.

The tragic incident occurred on December 21, 2021, in Alappuzha, where BJP OBC Morcha state secretary Ranjith Sreenivasan was brutally attacked and killed by a group in the presence of his mother, wife, and minor daughter.

Ranjith Sreenivasan, aged 40 and the state secretary of the BJP OBC Morcha, was hacked to death on December 19, 2021, in Vellakinar in Alappuzha town, witnessed by his family. Sreenivasan’s murder was viewed as retaliation for the killing of SDPI state secretary KS Shan the previous day, allegedly by RSS members in the Alappuzha district. The assailants also targeted Ranjith’s mother and sister.

As per the prosecution, the deceased’s body bore 56 wounds. The court identified eight individuals directly implicated in the case, while four others arrived at the scene armed, obstructing the victim’s escape and facilitating the entry of others into the house upon hearing his cries.

In response to the judgment, the family of Sreenivasan conveyed optimism that the perpetrators would receive the harshest penalty.

The assassination of the BJP leader unfolded shortly after SDPI leader K S Shan was murdered by a group on the night of December 18 while he was heading home in Alappuzha.