The Thalassery Principal Sessions Court has sentenced eight CPM workers to life imprisonment for the 2005 murder of BJP worker Sooraj. The convicted individuals, including TK Rajeesh, NV Yogesh, K Shamjith, Manoraj, Sajeevan, Prabhakaran, KV Padmanabhan, and Radhakrishnan, were found guilty of direct involvement and conspiracy in the crime. Additionally, the court sentenced the 11th accused to three years in prison for assisting the first accused in escaping.
Sooraj, a 32-year-old who shifted allegiance from the CPM to the BJP, was killed on August 7, 2005. His defection caused resentment within the local CPM faction, leading to the fatal attack. Before his murder, Sooraj had survived a previous assault by the same group six months earlier, which left him severely injured. After recovering, he was attacked again and killed by CPM workers. The court held five individuals responsible for the murder and four others for the conspiracy.
The case initially involved ten accused, but after a confession from TK Rajeesh, two more suspects were identified. However, the first accused, PK Shamsuddin, and the twelfth accused, TP Raveendran, passed away before the trial concluded. Following the verdict, CPM District Secretary MV Jayarajan maintained the accused’s innocence and announced plans to challenge the court’s decision.
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