The District Additional Sessions Court in Kasaragod on Saturday (October 17) acquitted all 21 defendants accused in the 2014 murder of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activist Zainul Abid. Delivering its final verdict, the court cleared all 21 individuals, who are RSS and BJP workers. Among those set free are Udayan, Prashanth, Mahesh, and Ani, also known as Anilkumar. The judgment brings a verdic to a high-profile homicide that shocked the local region nearly twelve years ago.

A fatal attack inside a family shop

The murder took place on the night of Monday, 22 December 2014, near the old bus stand in Kasaragod. Zainul Abid, a 24-year-old youth from Talangare Kunnil, was helping his father, K.A. Muhammad Kunhi, close their mattress shop at around 9:30 to 10:00 pm. As they were packing up goods, a gang armed with sharp weapons suddenly stormed inside. The attackers struck Abid repeatedly right in front of his father. Hearing his screams, nearby shopkeepers ran towards the store, but the gang escaped into the darkness.

Abid was rushed to a local private hospital before being transferred to Mangaluru as his condition worsened. Despite efforts by medical staff, he succumbed to his severe injuries in the early hours of Tuesday, 23 December 2014. His mortal remains were later shifted to Pariyaram Medical College Hospital.

Protests, arrests and criminal charges

The brutal killing sparked immediate tension across the district. Protesting against the murder, the SDPI called for a day-long district bandh on Tuesday, 23 December 2014, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Authorities promptly deployed additional police forces at strategic points to maintain order and prevent retaliatory violence.

Specialist police units launched an intensive search to track down those responsible. By January 2015, a team led by Kasaragod Deputy Superintendent of Police T.P. Ranjith arrested five suspects, including key accused Varun Kumar, Anil Kumar, Hareesh, and Abhishek. Officers booked them under IPC Sections 302 for murder and 120-B for conspiracy, after which a local court remanded them in judicial custody. Police also arrested BJP activist Jyotish in connection with the crime, though he later died by suicide in February 2022.

Shoddy probes and trial outcomes

The legal proceedings dragged on for years, with a total of 21 RSS and BJP workers standing trial for the murder. Following the trial, the Kasaragod District Additional Sessions Court ruled that all 21 defendants were acquitted of all charges. Local police officers tracking criminal trends in Kasaragod have previously pointed out that shoddy investigations have consistently resulted in zero convictions in political and communal murder cases in the district.