Kerala man gets life imprisonment for murdering woman in 2019

A Kerala court sentenced 54-year-old Chenthamara to life imprisonment for murdering a woman in 2019, along with additional jail terms and fines. The ruling comes amid ongoing trials in a double-murder case involving the same family

Palakkad (Kerala): A court here on Saturday awarded life imprisonment to a 54-year-old man for murdering a woman at Ponthundi near Nenmara in 2019. The Additional District and Sessions Court-IV Judge, Kenneth George, sentenced life imprisonment to Chenthamara under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 449 (house trespass).

The court also sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment under IPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and imposed a total fine of Rs 3.15 lakh for various offences. The sentences will run concurrently.

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As recovery of the fine amount from the convict is unlikely, the court instructed the District Legal Services Authority to provide financial assistance to the deceased’s family. According to the prosecution, in 2019, Chenthamara hacked to death Sajitha (36), the wife of Sudhakaran, at Ponthundi near Nenmara.

After being released on bail, he allegedly killed 53-year-old Sudhakaran and his mother, Lakshmi (72), in broad daylight near their home earlier this year. Police said that Chenthamara harboured animosity towards Sudhakaran’s family, believing that his wife and children had left him due to their interference.

Sajitha’s two daughters, Athuliya and Akhila, who were present in court to hear the verdict, said they were satisfied with the judgment. “Our only demand is that he should never be released. We are afraid of what might happen if he comes out. We hope he receives the maximum punishment in the double-murder case,” they said.

A relative of the family said the orphaned children should be protected and supported by the government. “They have no one to look after them. The government should consider providing them with a job so they can take care of themselves,” she said.

Palakkad District Police Chief Ajit Kumar said that the investigation team had presented strong scientific and forensic evidence before the court, leading to the conviction. “We recorded the statements of all witnesses and collected even minute pieces of evidence, including footprint marks and a torn piece of cloth from the accused’s pocket, which proved crucial,” he said.

Kumar said 44 witnesses were examined, all of whom gave consistent statements. A separate case for threatening witnesses was also registered and brought to the court’s notice, he said.

Public Prosecutor MJ Vijayakumar said that the court accepted all the prosecution’s arguments. “We had demanded the death penalty, but as the trial in the double-murder case is still pending, the court decided not to award the maximum punishment,” he said.

He added that the prosecution would not approach a higher court seeking a harsher sentence. Although the court noted it could not legally deny parole to the accused, it directed protection for witnesses and those affected by the case.

“The District Probation Officer’s report stated that Chenthamara showed no repentance and had no scope for reformation, though he was mentally stable,” the prosecutor said. Vijayakumar added that mitochondrial (mtDNA) forensic testing was carried out for the first time in the state as part of the investigation.