Kochi: In a surprising turn of events, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday stayed the punishment of four convicts in the Periya double murder case.

The stay order pertains to the punishment of former MLA and CPM leader K V Kunhiraman, Manikandan, Raghavan Velutholi, and A V Bhaskaran. 

K.V. Kunhiraman, Kanhangad block panchayat president K. Manikandan, Raghavan Velutholi, and A.V. Bhaskaran, who were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the court, had been charged under Section 225 (obstructing or resisting the lawful apprehension of another person) of the IPC.  

Following the conviction, they approached the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the punishment. All four are currently housed at Kannur Central Prison.

A CBI court on Friday sentenced 10 persons to life imprisonment, while four others, including a former CPM MLA, received five years in prison for the murder of two Youth Congress workers at Periya in Kasaragod district five years ago.

The court which convicted 14 accused on Saturday gave 10 of them life imprisonment under two counts of murder and criminal conspiracy. They will serve the sentences concurrently. These 10 accused were charged with murder and criminal conspiracy under Sections 302, 120(b) read with 149 of the IPC.

"They have been sentenced to life imprisonment on both charges, to run concurrently," the prosecutor said after the court pronounced the verdict.

The accused who were given life imprisonment include former CPM Periya local committee member A Peethambaran, Saji C George aka Saji, Suresh K M, Anil Kumar K alias Abu, Gijin, Shrirag R aka Kuttu, Aswin A alias Appu, Subeesh alias Mani, Ranjith T aka Appu and A Sruendan alias Vishnu Sura.