The Thiruvananthapuram Additional Sessions Court- VII on Thursday sentenced Rajendran (40), the prime accused in the brutal murder of Vineetha(38), to death.
The Sessions Court Judge Prasoon Mohan, who delivered the verdict, stated that no punishment other than the death penalty is appropriate to the accused, given the severity and brutality of the crime.
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The court also slapped a fine of Rs 4 lakh on the convict. If the convict fails to pay the fine, he shall serve additional term of three years, the court ordered.The amount shall be given to Vineetha’s children, the court said.
Earlier on April 11, the Additional Sessions Court found Rajendran, a native of Thovala in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district, guilty of murder, destruction of evidence and other allied charges.
Special Public Prosecutor M. Salahuddin argued forcefully for the death penalty, describing Rajendran as a hardened criminal responsible for four murders, three of which involved women, during robberies across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
During the sentencing hearing, Rajendran claimed he had a 70-year-old mother who depended on him. However, he also stated he felt no remorse, insisting he had done nothing wrong—an admission that further underscored the court’s conclusion that he lacked any capacity for remorse or reform.
The crime that shocked Thiruvananthapurm took place on February 6, 2022, when Vineetha was stabbed to death by Rajendran, a staff member at an ornamental plant shop at Ambalamukku to steal her gold chain.
Rajendran had a disturbing history, having previously murdered three members of a single family in Tamil Nadu. His latest crime in Kerala sealed his fate, with the court determining that society would be unsafe were he ever released.
