Man from Wayanad gets 18 years for repeatedly driving over youth in attempted murder

A man hailing from Wayanad has been sentenced to 18 years of rigorous imprisonment by the District Sessions Court for a heinous crime. The convict, VS Albin, 28, was found guilty of attempting to murder a youth by deliberately driving over him multiple times after running him down. The disturbing incident occurred on the night of March 15, 2018, in a secluded spot at Kurukkankunnu within the Nenmeni panchayat.

The court’s verdict, handed down on Wednesday, highlighted the severity of the crime. Albin’s actions resulted in grievous injuries to the victim, identified as Athul. Athul suffered significant harm to his spleen, tail of pancreas, and vertebral column due to the brutal attack. The court additionally imposed a fine of Rs 1,60,000 on Albin.

During the trial, Albin claimed that he had been under the impression that Athul was involved in a romantic relationship with his fiancée. However, this alleged relationship was later determined to be a misunderstanding, as argued by the prosecution.

The court document detailed the sequence of events, stating, “After knocking down the victim, the first accused reversed the vehicle and thereafter again drove the vehicle forward to run over the body of the victim who was lying on the road.”

Interestingly, three other individuals were present in the SUV driven by Albin during the incident. However, District Sessions Judge Johnson John acquitted them due to a lack of evidence connecting them to the crime.

Albin’s coordination with the others involved in the crime was facilitated using the mobile phone of a second accused, who was a minor at the time. The court established the links of the second accused to the crime beyond doubt, but due to their minor status, the matter was referred to the Juvenile Justice Board.

The case was thoroughly investigated by MD Sunil, the Circle Inspector of Sulthan Bathery at the time, and the chargesheet was submitted. The District Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor MK Jayapramod represented the prosecution throughout the legal proceedings. The court’s ruling serves as a testament to the gravity of the crime committed by Albin.