Kasargod: A special CBI court here on Saturday delivered the long-awaited verdict in the Periya double murder case. The court found 14 of the 24 accused guilty of their involvement in the 2019 killings of Youth Congress workers Sarathlal and Kripesh. Meanwhile, 10 others were acquitted. Responding to the verdict, the mothers of both victims demanded harsh punishment for all the accused.

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"We were hoping that all the culprits would be punished, but we do not find the verdict satisfying. We trust the esteemed court," said Sarathlal's mother, Latha. Meanwhile, in response to questions from the media, Kripesh’s mother, Balamani, remarked that she felt justice had been served in the case but added that the government had played several games to sabotage the case.

It may be noted that the verdict comes as a setback for the ruling CPM-led LDF government in Kerala. The convicted include seven CPM members, including former Uduma MLA K.V. Kunhiraman and former local secretary Raghavan Velutholy. Kunhiraman is the 20th accused. The court found evidence of murder against the first to eighth accused, who were directly involved in the killing.

The case initially involved 24 accused. The local police began the investigation, followed by the Crime Branch, and eventually, the case was handed over to the CBI by the High Court before further action could be taken by the Crime Branch. The trial in the CBI court lasted for two years.