The Kerala High Court on Monday sought the views of the convicts in the T. P. Chandrasekharan murder case on the plea to enhance the punishment for them, including death penalty or life imprisonment with a rider that they shall not be given remission before a fixed term in jail.
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It was on an appeal filed by K.K. Rema, wife of the slain Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, and the State government that a Division Bench consisting of Justices A. K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Kauser Edappagath sought the views of the convicts.
The Bench, which had earlier upheld the punishment announced by the Kozhikode Additional Sessions Court for the accused, including life imprisonment for 11 accused, had asked all convicts to be present in the High Court on the day.
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The High Court had also overturned the acquittal of K.K. Krishnan, a former CPI(M) area committee member, and Geothi Babu. The punishment for the duo will also be fixed by the court.
The convicts namely Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Kodi Suni, T. K. Rajeesh, K. K. Muhammed Shafi, S. Sijith, K. Shinoj, K. C. Ramachandran, Manoj, K. K. Krishnan and P. V. Rafeek were produced before the court. Kunjananthan, one of the convicts, had died while undergoing imprisonment.
The convicts, who were examined on the day, sought a lenient approach from the court and pleaded for a reduction in punishment. Some of the convicts submitted that they were not involved in the crime and pleaded innocence. They sought reduced sentences to take care of their aged parents and family. Some others highlighted their reported poor health condition and the medical treatment they had undergone to seek reduced sentences.
The court will consider the case on Tuesday.