Former top Kerala cop gets life term for murder

The Central Bureau of Investigation's Special Court in Kochi on Thursday sentenced former Inspector General of Police K Lakshamana to life imprisonment in the Naxal Varghese murder case. On Wednesday, the court had convicted Lakshamana for the brutal killing of Varghese, who was shot dead in Waynad forests 40 years ago.

The accused was convicted under Section 302 and Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. CBI Special Court Judge S Vijay Kumar also directed Lakshamana to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 to Varghese's family.

The accused told the court that he was in his 70s and maximum leniency and humanitarian consideration should be given to him. He also made a plea to be sent to Thiruvananthapuram central jail.

Public Prosecutor Vaikom Purshothamana Nair urged the court to give the accused the maximum punishment of death penalty as this was among the rarest of rare cases as a common man was branded a Naxalite, taken to Thirunelly forests and shot in cold blood with his hands tied.

Another accused in the case, former director general of police P Vijayan, had been acquitted by the court on Wednesday giving him the benefit of doubt. The court had observed that the death of Varghese in a police encounter was 'an advance defence moulded as a pretext to commit the crime'.

"No more evidence is needed, it is proved beyond any shadow of reasonable doubt that Varghese, who was caught hold of live, was brutally killed by the first accused, who was a stooge at the hands of Lakshamana, who on his order brought about this plan," said the court.

Lakshamana's wife, who was present in the court along with her advocate daugter, broke down after hearing the verdict.

Lakshamana was also an accused in the infamous Rajan murder case, related to the death of the Calicut Regional Engineering College student who disappeared after being taken into custody by the police for suspected links with Naxals on March 1, 1976. He was later acquitted in the case.

Varghese was gunned down by the police in cold blood in Thiruvenlli forests in Kerala's Wayanad district on February 18, 1970 in a fake encounter.

Judge S Vijay Kumar said the first accused in the case, late Central Reserve Police Force constable P Ramachandran Nair, had committed the act of murder on the command of Lakshmana, the second accused, who was then the deputy superintendent of police.

Lakshamana will be taken to the Thiruvananthapuram central jail on Thursday after completing the formalities at the Ernakulam sub-jail where he was lodged on Wednesday.