The Palakkad District Additional Sessions Court on Monday sentenced the first and second accused to life imprisonment and fined each Rs 50,000 in the highly publicized honour killing of Aneesh, 27, in Thenkurussi near Palakkad, Kerala, in December 2020.
Additional Sessions Judge R Vinayaka Rao handed down the sentence to Suresh and Prabhu Kumar of Elamannam, the uncle and father of Haritha, wife of the deceased Aneesh.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each accused. Haritha’s testimony played a critical role in securing the conviction.
Aneesh, 27, who belonged to a lower caste, and Haritha,19, who was from an upper caste, had a relationship and married against their families’ wishes.
Tragically, their marriage was short-lived; Aneesh was murdered on 25 December 2020, just 88 days after their wedding.
After the marriage, Haritha’s father threatened Aneesh, warning him that he would be killed within 90 days if he did not stay away from Haritha.
Prabhu Kumar and his brother-in-law Suresh murdered Aneesh by attacking him with iron rods and a long blade on December 25, 2020.
Aneesh succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. The case, initially investigated by the local police, was later transferred to the crime branch.