Double life-term for ten in honour killing in Kerala

Double life-term imprisonment has been awarded to all the ten found guilty in an honour killing case that shocked Kerala last year.

The Kottayam district principal sessions court also imposed a fine of Rs. 40,000 each to the accused. It was considered to be the first honor killing case in Kerala and the court termed it as a rarest of rare crime.

Kottayam native Kevin Joseph, 23, who hailed from a Dalit Christian family, was murdered by his wife Neenu Chacko's brother Sanu Chacko led the gang in 2018 May after he married Neenu, whom he met during studies in Kottayam. Neenu's father Chacko, who belonged to Latin Catholic community, strongly opposed the relationship. A day after their marriage was registered on May 25, 2018, Kevin was abducted by the gang led by Neenu's brother. His body was found in a river near Thenmala in Kollam district on May 28.

Sanu and nine others were found guilty of murder and various other criminal charges by the court on August 22.

Neenu's father Chacko and four others were acquitted by the court for want of evidence. Apart from Sanu, the others sentenced were Niyas Mon, Ishan Ismail, Riyaz Ibrahimkutty, Manu Muraleedharan, Shifin Sajad, N Nishad, Fazil Sherif, Shanu Shajahan and Tittu Gerome. Apart from murder, the other charges were an abduction, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence.

Neenu, who gave strong statements against his father and brother during the trial, told the media that those who did the crime got punished. Kevin's father Joseph said that he expected capital punishment to the accused, but was relieved that the culprits got double life-term. He also said that an appeal would be filed against the acquittal of Chacko and three others.