Kochi: The CBI special court in Kochi, which pronounced the sentencing in the Periya double murder case on Friday, witnessed what looked like a surprise meeting with the convicts in two highly sensational political murders in Kerala.

A Peethambaran, the prime convict in the murders of Youth Congress activists Kripesh and Sarathlal, was greeted by M K Sunil Kumar, aka Kodi Suni, the notorious hitman, who is undergoing jail term in the 2012 T P Chandrasekharan murder as the two met outside the special courtroom.

Peethambaran, along with his 13 co-convicts – all CPM supporters, including former Udma MLA K V Kunhiraman, was waiting for their sentencing when Suni came across them on the court verandah on the first floor. Suni was at the court for a proceeding in the 2006 Muhammad Fasal murder case in which he is the main accused.

Suni was seen shaking hands with Peethambaran and having a brief chat with him outside the courtroom around 11.30 am when the court had completed the final hearing before pronouncing the quantum of the sentence.

The court had allowed the convicts to wait outside till 12.15 noon when it was scheduled to pronounce the sentence. Suni was clad in blue jeans and a white shirt, while Peethambaran was in a mundu and shirt, all white.

Peethambaran, who was the CPM’s Periya local committee member when the murders were committed, and 9 others were sentenced to life term and a fine of Rs 2 lakh for murder and conspiracy by the CBI court, while the remaining four accused, including ex-MLA Kunhiraman, were given five years of jail and a fine of Rs 10,000.

Kodi Suni, who is among those convicted for the brutal murder of Chandrasekharan, who founded the Revolutionary Marxist Party after quitting the CPM, is currently lodged in Tavanur prison.

He was recently granted parole for 30 days by the jail DGP based on a recommendation of the Kerala State Human Rights Commission. Suni was released on parole on December 28, which was said to be the first time in six years.

The trial in the Fazal murder case is yet to begin. Fazal, a newspaper distributor, was murdered on October 22, 2006, near Saidar Mosque in Thalassery. In the report filed before the Special CBI Court, the CBI stated that the conspiracy behind the murder was hatched by CPM activists Karai Rajan and Karai Chandrashekhar, and the murder was executed by Suni and his henchmen. It is alleged that Fazal, who was a CPM worker, was murdered as he had left the party and joined the National Development Front (NDF).