Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday wrote to Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, asking him not to commute the sentence of Sherin, the prime convict in the Bhaskara Karanavar murder case.
He pointed out in the letter that granting leniency in Sherin’s sentence is illegal and sends a wrong message to the society.
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Sherin was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 for the murder of her father-in-law Bhaskara Karanavar and has completed 14 years in jail. The state cabinet on Wednesday decided to recommend to the governor the early release of murder convict Sherin from prison based on the recommendation of the Jail Advisory Committee.
The state Cabinet’s decision to recommend to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to remit the life sentence of Sherin has raised some eyebrows.
Karanavar, 66, a U.S. returnee, was found murdered at his house at Cheriyanad, near Chengannur, on November 8, 2009. In June 2010, the Mavelikara Additional Sessions Fast Track (ad-hoc) Court sentenced Sherin, Karanavar’s daughter-in-law, along with three of her friends — Basith Ali, Nidhin and Shanu Rashid — to life imprisonment.
Sherin had married Karanavar’s younger son Binu Peter, a differently-abled person, in 2001. The couple’s married life soon hit a rough patch and Karanavar cancelled a property will in Sherin’s name, prompting her to plot the murder.
Along with Sherin, Basith Ali, Nidhin and Shanu Rashid, who were allegedly her friends and who were contracted to kill Karanavar, were convicted in the case.
Chennithala in his letter cautioned the Governor that granting remission to Sherin would set a dangerous precedent, encouraging the government to make similar decisions in the future and would see the premature release of other hardcore criminals.
“This would be a travesty of justice, leading to lawlessness and anarchy in the state, moreover such a decision would severely undermine public trust in the judiciary and the legal system,” Chennithala said.
He also pointed out in his letter that Sherin has managed to get parole on numerous occasions due to her high political influence and a mere comparison of the number of days she spent in jail and out of jail shows the convict was out of prison for the majority of the period.
He said that the cabinet recommended to the Governor to release Sherin, leaving behind those who had served sentences of up to 20 and 25 years. Chennithala said this was due to the influence the accused had at the top. Family members of the victims and locals have come out strongly against the decision, he pointed out in the letter.
