Nanthancode murder case: Life-term for Cadell Jeanson Raja for brutal killings of his family in 2017

Thiruvananthapuram: A youth found guilty of murdering his father, mother, sister and a relative in Thiruvananthapuram in 2017 has been sentenced to life-term for murder apart from rigorous imprisonment of 12 years for other offences.

Cadell Jeanson Raja of Nanthencode in Thiruvananthapuram was convicted by an additional sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Though the prosecution sought capital punishment, the court limited the sentence to life-term, but did not allow concurrent execution of sentences for the various offences he committed. 

The incident took place on April 9, 2017. Raja, who was then aged around 30, murdered his father  Raja Thankam, 60, who was a professor, mother Dr. Jean Padma, 58, sister Caroline, 26, and a relative Lalitha, 70, one after the other. 

The bodies were burnt inside their house, which is located hardly one kilometer away from the Cliff house compound where the official residences of the chief minister and many ministers are situated. 

Neglect by family members was found to be the provocation for the murder. Though Raja was sent abroad for studies by his family he discontinued the studies.

Apart from life term, Raja was sentenced to seven years for mischief by fire under IPC 436 and five years for destruction of evidence under IPC 201.  The life term will be executed only after undergoing the imprisonment in the other two offences. The fine of Rs. 15 lakh would have to be paid to his maternal uncle.

Special prosecutor Dileep Sathyan said even as death sentence was not allowed, the verdict that the sentence for various offences need to be undergone separately would ensure that the culprit would remain in prison for a long time.