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PALAKKAD: A special court in Kerala’s Mannarkkad on Tuesday pronounced guilty 14 of 16 accused tried for the 2018 lynching of a 29-year-old tribal man accused of theft and later found to be mentally ill.
The conviction in the infamous Madhu lynching case that shocked Kerala out of its “progressive” cocoon came after a series of twists in the trial, including alleged sabotage attempts, 24 witnesses turning hostile and the original special public prosecutor being replaced. tnn
Man ‘who filmed lynching, put it on social media’ is acquitted
Special judge K M Ratheeshkumar convicted first accused Mecheriyil Hussain (59) of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 II of the IPC and held 12 others guilty of the same crime along with voluntarily causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons (Section 326) and kidnapping to cause grievous hurt (Section 367).
These sections carry a maximum punishment of either life imprisonment or a 10-year jail term. The convicts were also convicted of lynching a person from a Scheduled Tribe, which constitutes an additional offence under Section 3(1)(d) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Special public prosecutor Rajesh M Menon said the 14th convict, Muneer (36), was held guilty of assault or use of criminal force without provocation (Section 352), which carries a maximum sentence of three months in jail, a fine or both. Abdul Kareem, one of the two people acquitted for want of evidence, had allegedly video-recorded the lynching and posted it on social media.
Madhu had been traced to a cave where he would spend most of his time, paraded in public and thrashed on suspicion of being involved in frequent thefts in the area. By the time the mob-handed him over to police, he was dead.
Special public prosecutor Menon said the prosecution had sought maximum punishment for the guilty under the SC/ST Act. He said key witnesses turning out to be complicit in the crime made the prosecution’s job doubly difficult as it had to depend mainly on circumstantial, digital and scientific evidence.
Madhu’s mother Malli and sister Sarasu said they pursued the case against all odds. “We were threatened, isolated and neglected. Attempts were also made to influence us with money. We hope those found guilty will be given punishment,” Sarasu said. The sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday.
The conviction in the infamous Madhu lynching case that shocked Kerala out of its “progressive” cocoon came after a series of twists in the trial, including alleged sabotage attempts, 24 witnesses turning hostile and the original special public prosecutor being replaced. tnn
Man ‘who filmed lynching, put it on social media’ is acquitted
Special judge K M Ratheeshkumar convicted first accused Mecheriyil Hussain (59) of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 II of the IPC and held 12 others guilty of the same crime along with voluntarily causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons (Section 326) and kidnapping to cause grievous hurt (Section 367).
These sections carry a maximum punishment of either life imprisonment or a 10-year jail term. The convicts were also convicted of lynching a person from a Scheduled Tribe, which constitutes an additional offence under Section 3(1)(d) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Special public prosecutor Rajesh M Menon said the 14th convict, Muneer (36), was held guilty of assault or use of criminal force without provocation (Section 352), which carries a maximum sentence of three months in jail, a fine or both. Abdul Kareem, one of the two people acquitted for want of evidence, had allegedly video-recorded the lynching and posted it on social media.
Madhu had been traced to a cave where he would spend most of his time, paraded in public and thrashed on suspicion of being involved in frequent thefts in the area. By the time the mob-handed him over to police, he was dead.
Special public prosecutor Menon said the prosecution had sought maximum punishment for the guilty under the SC/ST Act. He said key witnesses turning out to be complicit in the crime made the prosecution’s job doubly difficult as it had to depend mainly on circumstantial, digital and scientific evidence.
Madhu’s mother Malli and sister Sarasu said they pursued the case against all odds. “We were threatened, isolated and neglected. Attempts were also made to influence us with money. We hope those found guilty will be given punishment,” Sarasu said. The sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday.
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