Kerala Court Sentences Three to Life for Brutal 2019 Murder

A Kerala court sentenced Vijesh, Ajit, and Ranju to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of Shyam, who was beaten to death in Chathannoor. The convicts attacked Shyam after a dispute over drawing water from a public well. The court also imposed a fine and ordered compensation to the victim's family.

A Kerala court on Tuesday sentenced three men to life for killing a young man living in their colony near Chathannoor here by beating him to death, in 2019.

Additional District Sessions Judge P N Vinod sentenced the convicts Vijesh (29), Ajit (29) and Ranju (29) to life for the murder of 21-year-old Shyam, Public Prosecutor Sicin G Mundakkal said.

According to the prosecution, the convicts beat Shyam to death because he and his father questioned the conduct of the convicts and other accused who drew water from a public well in their colony to drink along with alcohol.

After the argument between the two sides, on the night of January 12, 2019, the seven accused in the case beat Shyam to death using rods and sticks, the prosecutor said.

During the pendency of the trial, the prime accused died and three other co-accused were discharged, he said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on the convicts and directed that the amount, if recovered, be given to the family of the victim, the prosecutor said.

Besides that, the court also ordered the District Legal Services Authority to take steps to provide appropriate compensation to the victim's family and rehabilitate them, the prosecutor said.