Kerala CPI(M) Candidate Sentenced: A Decade-Old Protest Bombing Resurfaces

A court in Kerala sentenced CPI(M) candidate V K Nishad and T C V Nandakumar to a 10-year jail term for attempting to kill police officers during a protest in 2012. They were fined Rs 2.5 lakh each. Two other accused were acquitted, and a backup candidate has been fielded.

A court in Kerala's north district handed a 10-year jail sentence to CPI(M) candidate V K Nishad, 35, and T C V Nandakumar, 35, for attempting to kill police officers by throwing bombs more than a decade ago, during a protest against the arrest of leader P Jayarajan.

The Taliparamba Additional Sessions Court delivered the verdict against the two, who received combined sentences amounting to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. They were also fined Rs 2.5 lakh, yet the court decided serving 10 years was sufficient.

The case ties back to an incident on August 1, 2012, involving bomb attacks during a protest. With Nishad running in local elections, the CPI(M) has prepared a contingency by fielding party worker M Harindran as a dummy candidate.

(With inputs from agencies.)