B Upendran | HENB | Kannur | July 27, 2019:: The Additional District and Sessions Court at Thalassery on Friday awarded life sentence to five Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers in the case of murder of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker at Thalassery in 2008.

Judge P.N. Vinod found five of the accused guilty of murdering BJP worker K.V. Surendran (62 yrs) who was bedridden. They are M. Akhilesh, M. Lijesh, M. Kalesh, K. Vineesh and P.K. Shijesh. The court acquitted two other accused in the case citing lack of evidence. They are Vijesh and Shabin. The court also slapped a fine of Rs. 1.10 lakh each on the five convicts.

The amount should be given to the wife of the deceased. In case of default, the convicts would have to undergo a further term of six months in jail.

According to the prosecution, Surendran was hacked to death with sharp weapons by a seven-member gang that broke into his house on the evening of March 7, 2008. Surendran, a goldsmith by profession who was an active member of BJP and sympathizer of many Hindutvawadi organiastions had been ailing from a kidney disease.

Left violence led by CPI(M) against members of other parties, especially the BJP and Hindutvawadi organisations has often turned bloody in Kerala.

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__inputs from The Hindu.