Life Sentence for All 11 Accused in TP Chandrasekharan Murder Case, No Death Penalty

The Kerala High Court has decided against awarding the death penalty to the 11 accused in the TP Chandrasekharan murder case. Instead, life sentences were given to all convicts, including K Krishnan and Jyothi Babu, with eligibility for parole only after 20 years. The court ordered a compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh to the victim’s wife and MLA KK Rema, along with Rs 5 lakh to his son. The High Court bench engaged in a debate with the prosecution counsel regarding the death penalty during the plea for sentence enhancement. The court highlighted the aged convicts’ health issues and emphasized that death penalty is reserved for the rarest of rare cases, considering the chances of repentance as per Supreme Court guidelines.

TP Chandrasekharan, the founder of the Revolutionary Marxist Party, was brutally murdered in 2012. The convicts, including M C Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, and others, were initially sentenced to life imprisonment by the Additional Sessions Court in Kozhikode. The recent decision by the Kerala High Court upholds the previous verdict, dismissing the appeal of the convicts and emphasizing the premeditated nature of the murder. Despite the prosecution’s argument that the convicts showed no signs of repentance during their imprisonment, the court adhered to the principle that death penalty should be sparingly applied.