Kerala man handed death sentence for killing 2 while out on bail in murder case
A court in Kerala on Monday awarded the death penalty to a 61-year-old man convicted in the sensational 2025 Nenmara double murder case, describing the
A court in Kerala on Monday awarded the death penalty to a 61-year-old man convicted in the sensational 2025 Nenmara double murder case, describing the crime as falling within the "rarest of rare" category. Palakkad Additional Sessions Judge Kenneth George sentenced Chenthamara to death for the January 27, 2025, murders of his neighbour Sudhakaran and Sudhakaran's mother, Lakshmi, at Pothundi near Nenmara. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the convict. Read Full Story The court found Chenthamara guilty under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder and Section 126(2) for wrongful restraint.
While pronouncing the sentence, the court observed that the case warranted capital punishment as the convict had killed multiple members of the same family. The double murder took place shortly after Chenthamara was released on bail in January 2025 in connection with another murder case. He had previously been arrested for the 2019 killing of Sudhakaran's wife, Sajitha, whom he allegedly held responsible for his marital problems. Following the Nenmara double murder, police launched a large-scale manhunt and arrested Chenthamara soon afterwards. He was subsequently lodged in the Malampuzha sub-jail. While announcing the verdict, the court observed that Chenthamara remained a threat to the two daughters of Sajitha and Sudhakaran, who were orphaned after the killings.
It also noted that the convict had displayed no remorse even after committing the murders, making the case fit for the death penalty. In the earlier Sajitha murder case, Chenthamara had already been sentenced to double life imprisonment by a court. Following the conviction, Sajitha and Sudhakaran's daughters, Atulya and Akhila, welcomed the verdict and said the accused had continued to intimidate them even during court proceedings. "He should get the maximum punishment. Even in court, he said, without any remorse, to go ahead and hang him if they want to. We lost our father and grandmother. Everyone is gone.
He must be given a punishment that fits his crime," Akhila told reporters. Atulya said the family continued to live in fear because of the accused. "He is not afraid of anything. He must be given a punishment that fits his crime," she said. A relative of the family, Saritha, urged the state government to support the two sisters, saying they had been left without immediate family after the murders. She appealed to the government to provide them with jobs and assistance. Ends
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