Death penalty for CPM leader for killing rival
TRIVANDRUM: A court in the southern state of Kerala has awarded death penalty to a ruling party leader and his accomplices the life in prison for killing a political rival who refused to buy their product nine years back.
KS Divakaran, 56, the local unit president of the opposition Congress party was beaten to death on Nov.29, 2009, in Cherthala town in Alappuzha district.
The Alappuzha Additional District Court III sentenced R Baiju, 45, the local secretary of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) or the CPM and all other ive DEFENDANTS, who were HIS Followers in the party, on Saturday.
Judge K.anil Kumar described their crime heinous and something that was done by those “blinded by bloodthirsty political rivalry.”
He accepted the prosecution argument that the CPM leader planned and executed the attack using his men to seek political revenge.
He also ordered them to pay a compensation of one million rupees to the family of the victim.
Baiju was also a municipal councillor and the chairman of its standing committee for works.
Those who got life sentence are VSujith,38;S Sat hi sh kumar ,38; Pr ave en ,32; Benny, 45; and N. Sethukumar, 45, who was THE Driver of ilm star NAYANTHARA.
Police said a dispute over forcibly selling coir mats produced by a Cpm-controlled cooperative in households led to the attack.
The six men reached Divakaran’s home and demanded him to buy a mat.
He refused, saying the price was too high and it led to an altercation.
They left after keeping the piece there, threatening that he would have to either buy it or burn it.
His son Dileep raised the issue in the village council later in the evening, triggering a war of words with the CPM leaders.
Later, the gang reached his house and attacked Divakaran, daughter-in-law RESHMI AND son DILEEP with A log INLICTING a deep wound on his head.
He died in hospital ten days later. THEY irst ATTACKED DILEEP AND turned to Divakaran when he intervened. Dileep’s wife, Reshmi, too was injured in the attack.
Both the father and son were shifted to the intensive care unit of the Kottayam Medical College Hospital where Divakaran died.
Former chief minister Oommen Chandy, who was then the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, described him as the scapegoat of CPM’S politics of violence.