Palakkad, 13 July (H.S.):

The Additional Sessions Court in Palakkad is set to pronounce its verdict on Monday in the sensational Nenmara double murder case, nearly one-and-a-half years after a mother and son were hacked to death in Palakkad district.

The accused, Chenthamara (59), a resident of Boyan Colony at Thiruthampadam in Pothundi near Nenmara, is currently lodged in Malampuzha Central Prison and will be produced before the court for the pronouncement of judgment.

The case pertains to the brutal killing of Sudhakaran (55) and his 75-year-old mother Lakshmi, both residents of Pothundi. According to the prosecution, the accused attacked the victims with a billhook, killing them on the spot.

The double murder took place after Chenthamara had secured bail in an earlier murder case involving the same family. He had previously been convicted by the same court for the murder of Sudhakaran's wife, Sajitha (35). In that case, the court awarded him double life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹3.25 lakh. He was out on bail while the appeal process was pending when the subsequent killings occurred.

The prosecution argued that the accused harboured a longstanding grudge against Sajitha and her family, believing they were responsible for the breakdown of his relationship with his wife and daughter. Investigators said this suspicion eventually escalated into a series of violent attacks against the family.

Final arguments in the double murder case were completed on June 30, following which the court reserved its judgment. The verdict is scheduled to be delivered today.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman