Palakkad, 03 July (H.S.): The Palakkad District Sessions Court-IV will deliver its verdict on Monday in the sensational Nenmara double murder case in which Sudhakaran and his mother Lakshmi were hacked to death at their residence on January 27, 2025. The case is closely linked to the 2019 murder of Sudhakaran's wife, Sajitha, for which the accused, Chenthamara, has already been convicted.
According to the prosecution, the murders of Sudhakaran and Lakshmi were carried out as part of a carefully planned act of revenge. Chenthamara, who had been arrested for Sajitha's murder in 2019, was out on bail when the mother and son were allegedly killed. In October 2025, he was convicted in Sajitha's murder case.
The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor M.J. Vijayakumar, examined 132 witnesses during the trial, with the court recording the testimony of 81 witnesses. Four witnesses, all close relatives of the accused, turned hostile. Despite this, the prosecution has relied heavily on scientific and material evidence, including call detail records, bloodstain analysis and witness testimonies, to establish the accused's guilt. It is expected to seek the maximum punishment of death for the accused.
Investigators traced the origins of the case to August 31, 2019, when Chenthamara allegedly entered Sajitha's house and fatally attacked her with a knife while she was alone. The prosecution contended that he believed Sajitha was responsible for the breakdown of his marriage and murdered her out of personal vengeance.
After being granted bail on January 27, 2025, Chenthamara allegedly carried out the second attack on the very same day, targeting Sajitha's husband Sudhakaran and his mother Lakshmi at their home in Nenmara. The killings took the total number of alleged victims linked to the accused to three.
According to the police remand report, Chenthamara confessed during interrogation that he was satisfied his revenge plan had succeeded and claimed the crime had been executed after meticulous planning. Investigators said he had purchased the billhook knife used in the attack several days in advance and allegedly attempted to mislead investigators by placing a vial of poison inside the house to create a false trail.
The verdict, expected on Monday, is being closely watched as one of Kerala's most high-profile murder cases in recent years.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
