Thiruvananthapuram: Fourteen people, including a CPM district committee member, were found guilty of killing Congress leader Ramabhadran (44) in front of his wife and children in Anchal's Eroor in 2010. Those convicted include Kollam CPM district committee member Babu Panicker.
Four accused, including CPM district secretariat member Jayamohan, Riyas, Maxon Yesudas and Roykutty, were acquitted. The quantum of punishment will be announced on July 30.

The verdict was given by the Thiruvananthapuram CBI special court. Ramabhadran, an INTUC leader, was killed on April 10, 2010. The crucial element in the case was the statement given by his wife and two daughters that the accused killed the Congress leader brutally in front of their eyes. They were found guilty under Sections 302, 120 (b), and 201 of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 20 and 27 of the Arms Act.

The accused include Girishkumar, Padman, Afzal, Najmal, Shibu, Vimal, Sudheesh, Shan, Ratheesh, Biju, Ranjith, Sally alias Kochunni, Riaz alias Muneer, DYFI leader Riaz, Markson, former CPM Anchal Area Secretary PS Suman, CPM ex-District Committee member Babu Panicker, Jaimohan, Roykutty, and Ravindran.

The verdict comes 14 years after the murder. The CBI took over the investigation when the family approached the High Court, stating that the State police had failed in the probe. The second accused has died before the verdict came. CBI investigation officer KT Thomas completed the investigation in four years.

The case
Ramabhadran, who was the vice-president of the Congress Eroor constituency, and a local leader of the INTUC, was hacked to death on the night of April 10, 2010. According to the CBI, anger over Ramabhadran's efforts to strengthen the party and bring CPM workers to his party led to the murder. The dispute between the first accused, Girish and the local Congress workers was the trigger for the crime.

Initially, 16 CPM workers were arrested as accused in the case investigated by the local police. However, Ramabhadran's wife Bindu filed a petition in the High Court stating that justice was not done in the investigation conducted during the Left regime, and the CBI received permission for the investigation. The number of accused in the CBI investigation increased to 21.

Two people became approvers in the case. The second accused, CPM Anchal area committee member J Padman, was later found dead. Ravindran, the 20th accused in the case, also passed away. Another accused, PS Suman, former area secretary of CPM, left the party and joined the BJP.

The testimony of the victim's wife Bindu, the fourth witness, proved crucial to the case. She informed the court that the accused barged into the house and brutally murdered her husband after chasing him around after hacking him first. They held her and their two children at knifepoint and ordered them to remain silent. After the murder, the accused got into a jeep and left. Ramabhadran allegedly told Bindu that he was hacked due to political enmity moments before his death.

The accused Shibu, Sudheesh, Shan, Ratheesh, Biju, Ranjit, Sally, Riaz, Markson, and Yesudas were identified in court as those who broke into the house. Bindu also said that Ramabhadran's mother lost her ability to speak after the incident. Their daughter Arya, who was then a student of Class IX, told the court that when her father refused water offered by Bindu ahead of his death. She tearfully told the court that her father's mother died a month later because she could not bear the grief. Arya said that the accused did not show any mercy despite begging them.

Ramabhadran killed with a 'U' shaped knife
The third witness, Shibu, testified that Ramabhadran was killed with a 'U' shaped knife. Shibu, son of Ramabhadran's brother, testified that the accused had six knives in total. Shibu, who undertakes contract work, lived 2 km away from Ramabhadran's house. On the day of the murder, he came to Ramabhadran's house to talk about work. Shibu told the court that when he was returning after talking to Ramabhadran, he saw the jeep going to the house.

After a while, screams were heard from the house. When he reached the house, the accused got into a jeep and escaped from the spot, saying that "his work was done." Shibu said that with the help of neighbours, Ramabhadran was rushed to a Punalur hospital and later to the medical college, but his life could not be saved.