Kochi- A CBI court in Kochi on Friday sentenced 10 CPI-M workers to double life imprisonment and four others, including a former party legislator, to five years in jail for the 2019 murder of two Congress workers in Periya, Kasaragod district.

The court convicted 14 individuals and acquitted 10 others in the case related to the brutal killings of Kripesh (19) and P.K. Sarath Lal (24) on February 17, 2019.

The court found eight of the accused directly involved in the murders and six others to have played indirect roles. The eight individuals directly involved received two life sentences each, while two others involved in the conspiracy also received double life terms. Convicted individuals include former MLA and CPI-M district leader K.V. Kunhiraman. Kunhiraman was sentenced to five years for his role in forcibly removing the second accused from police custody.

The victims’ families expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict, expecting capital punishment for the accused. They plan to appeal the verdict after discussing with the Congress leadership, citing the exoneration of 10 accused and the lack of capital punishment. At Periya in Kasargod, a large gathering of Congress party workers and family members of the victims gathered at their memorial site, where some women were seen in tears following the verdict.

The CBI, which took over the case from the Crime Branch following a petition by the victims’ families, concluded that the murders were part of a cycle of politically motivated violence between CPI-M and Congress workers in the region.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan highlighted the involvement of a former CPI-M legislator and workers among the accused, criticizing the party's denial of their involvement. Independent legislator K.K. Rema, whose husband was also murdered by CPI-M workers, condemned the party's efforts to protect the accused, alleging the spending of over Rs 1 crore on high-priced lawyers. AICC general secretary and Alappuzha Congress Lok Sabha member, K.C. Venugopal said the verdict exposes the CPI-M's true nature as they annihilate political opponents.

The double life sentence for each accused includes a Rs 2 lakh fine, while the remaining four will pay Rs 10,000. All fines will be given to the families of the victims. The defense counsel plans to file an appeal against the verdict once they receive the paperwork.