Thiruvananthapuram: The Thiruvananthapuram CBI special court has found 14 accused guilty in the case of INTUC leader Anchal Ramabhadran's murder. Among those convicted is CPM Kollam district committee member Babu Panicker.

At the same time, four accused, including S Jayamohan, chairman of the Cashew Development Corporation and a member of the district secretariat, were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Jayamohan, Riyaz, Markson Yesudas, and Roykutty were acquitted by the court.

In addition to Babu Panicker, the court found Anchal area secretary PS Sumesh, Girish Kumar, Afzal, Najumal Hasan, former minister J Mercykuttyamma's former personal staff Markson Yesudas, Shibu, Vimal, Sudheesh, Shan, and Ranjith guilty. They will be sentenced on July 30. Apart from being directly involved in the murder, the CPM leaders were accused of conspiracy and attempting to protect the accused.

A major controversy in the case was the defection of DYSP Vinod Kumar, who initially investigated the murder. As a prosecution witness, he testified that he could not identify the accused arrested in the case. The CBI filed the charge sheet in 2019, and among the 126 witnesses, a few who were CPM workers turned approvers.

The trial for the murder, which occurred on the night of April 10, 2010, began late. The investigation was handed over to the CBI after Ramabhadran's family approached the court, dissatisfied with the initial investigation by the local police and the crime branch. Initially, 16 CPM workers were arrested by the local police. However, Ramabhadran's wife Bindhu petitioned the High Court, claiming the investigation conducted during the Left government was unjust, leading to the CBI's involvement.

The number of accused in the CBI investigation increased to 21, with two turning approvers. The second accused and CPM Anchal area committee member J Pathman committed suicide during the trial. Another accused, former area secretary of CPM PS Suman, who later joined BJP, also became a controversial figure.

Ramabhadran of Sreeramachandra Vilasam in Nettayam was hacked to death in front of his family members by political rivals on the night of April 10, 2010. He was the Congress Eroor mandalam vice-president and president of INTUC Eroor panchayat committee. The murder was believed to have been sparked by enmity over a clash during a temple festival in the locality, after which Ramabhadran helped some arrested individuals secure bail.