Areekkal Asokan murder case: Four get life term


THALASSERY: Four of the accused in the sensational murder case of CPM activist Areekkal Asokan of Panur were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Additional Sessions Court (Fast-track II) here on Friday.
The court had found them guilty in the case on Thursday under Sections 302, 449, 148 and 143 of the IPC. All the four convicts - Mottammal Shaji alias Kakka Shaji, 39,  Karolathil Sajith alias Asa Sajith, 39, Kunnummal Uthaman, 38 and Mudentevida Rijesh, 33 - are BJP-RSS workers.
 In addition to life imprisonment, they have to pay `1 lakh each as fine. The court also stated in the judgment that the amount of `3 lakh collected as fine from the convicts should be handed over to the wife of Asokan.
The total number of accused in the case was 27, but the court released all othersexcept the four.
The case against accused number five will be considered by a Juvenile Court later.
It was on December 5, 2000 that Areekkal Asokan was stabbed to death as he was sleeping with his four-year-old son at the house of his brother.
The murder was a sequel to a series of political clashes that took place in the Thalassery region.
Elaborate security arrangements were made by the police in and around the court complex in view of the sensitive nature of the case.

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