Ranjeet Sreenivas murder: Tight security for judge who awarded death sentence to 15 convicts

Alappuzha: The security for Mavelikkara Additional District Session Court-I Judge V G Sreedevi has been intensified by the state police after she awarded death sentences to 15 PFI-SDPI workers for their involvement in the 2021 murder of BJP OBC Morcha State Secretary Ranjeet Sreenivas.

A six-member team led by a sub-inspector has been deployed for her personal security. The decision to enhance security was prompted by perceived threats to the judge's life conveyed through social media channels, a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, a second set of chargesheet, listing the names of the remaining 15 accused, including those abetting the murder and helping in destroying evidence, is expected to be filed soon.

Judge Sreedevi, deeming the case as falling within the category of the "rarest of rare," handed down capital punishment to Naisam, Ajmal, Anoop, Mohammed Aslam, Abdul Kalam alias Salam, Abdul Kalam, Saffaruddin, Manshad, Jaseeb Raja, Navas, Sameer, Nazir, Zakir Hussain, Shaji Poovathungal, and Shernas Ashraf on Tuesday.

The entire court premises were fortified with security measures during the verdict announcement, as reports suggested unease among PFI-SDPI cadres regarding the outcome.

Trail in Shan murder case
Meanwhile, the trial for the killing of SDPI State Secretary K S Shan, considered the trigger for Ranjeet's murder, is scheduled to commence on February 2. Shan, aged 38, was assaulted by assailants at Kuppezham Junction in Mannancherry, Alappuzha, on December 18, 2021. He was attacked while he was riding his motorcycle home, which had been rear-ended by a car. A group of individuals emerged from the car, attacking him with iron rods and other weapons. He succumbed to his injuries at approximately 11:30 pm.

Less than 12 hours after Shan's murder, a gang hacked 40-year-old Ranjeet to death at his residence in Vellakinar, Alappuzha municipality, on December 19, 2021. The trigger for Shan's murder was the killing of 22-year-old RSS worker Nandukrishna by SDPI members at Vayalar in Alappuzha on February 24, 2021.

The police have filed a chargesheet against 13 individuals associated with RSS/BJP in the Shan murder case, but court proceedings are yet to gain momentum. The SDPI leadership as well as Shan’s family have accused the state government of bias, asserting that the Shan murder case is progressing slowly. All accused in the SDPI leader's killing are currently out on bail, raising doubts about impartiality.

In the Nandukrishna murder case, the police have filed a chargesheet against 40 SDPI-associated individuals before the Alappuzha District Court. The trial, in that case too, is facing a delay. The RSS worker was killed in a dispute between RSS and SDPI workers over provocative language used at a campaign meeting organized by the SDPI on November 24. Separate protest marches by both organizations resulted in clashes at Nagankulangara Junction near Vayalar, leading to Nandukrishna's death and serious injuries to another RSS worker, K S Nandu.