Kannur: Four individuals, including former MLA and senior CPM leaders, who were convicted in the infamous Periya double murder case, have been released from jail after the Kerala High Court suspended their sentence. The accused were received outside Kannur Central Jail by a large CPM gathering.
Senior party leaders, including Kannur-Kasargod CPM district secretaries and prominent figures like P. Jayarajan, personally welcomed the accused. The party leadership greeted the leaders with red floral garlands.
On Wednesday, the division bench of the Kerala High Court suspended the sentences of the four individuals, who had been convicted in the case.
The accused, including former MLA K V Kunhiraman, were sentenced to five years in prison for their roles in the case. However, the High Court’s decision to suspend their sentences has led to their release.
The accused leaders include K. V. Kunhiraman, a former MLA and member of the CPM District Secretariat, K. Manikandan, former area secretary and current president of the Kanhangad Block Panchayat, Raghavan Velutholli, a former local secretary and district secretary of the Traders’ Association, and K. V. Bhaskaran, a former secretary of the Panayal Bank.
While the court’s suspension of sentences was announced on Wednesday, the formal release could not take place immediately due to documentation delays at the jail.
The case had garnered lot of attention, given the political affiliations of the accused and their involvement in the high-profile double murder.
Published: 09 Jan 2025, 10:34 am IST
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