Murder of Praveen: SC upholds former DySP’s life sentence

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday upheld the life sentence awarded to former DySP Shaji, Malappuram by a lower court, in the Praveen murder case. The court rejected the plea of Shaji seeking to cancel the sentence. The Kerala High Court had earlier upheld the sentence.

The motive for the murder was the alleged illicit relations the victim had with Shaji's wife. After murdering Praveen, Shaji hacked his body into pieces with the help of his aides and dumped it into the Vembanad Lake. The incident occurred on the night of February 15, 2005.

The murder came to light when a severed leg was found near a bridge on a rivulet near Kumarakom the next day. Later, a man missing complaint was filed by Praveen's father with the Ettumanur police.

During investigation, the police found the severed torso from Thannermukkom Bund area and later the head from the lake area in Kochi.