Kannur: The district sessions court in Thalassery here on Friday convicted nine people in the murder of BJP activist Elambilayi Sooraj (32), a native of Muzhappilangad. Sooraj was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight on August 7, 2005. The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on March 23, Monday.

TP murder case accused TK Rajeesh, his accomplices NV Yogesh, K Shamjith, PM Manoraj, N Sajeevan, CPM leaders Prabhakaran, KV Padmanabhan, NK Prakasan and Puthiyapurayil Pradeepan are the nine accused who were found guilty in the case. Manoraj is the brother of the Chief Minister’s press secretary, PM Manoj. 

Police had arraigned 12 people in the case. Among them, two—first accused Shamsudeen and Raveendran—passed away during the trial.  Of the remaining accused, Nagathankotta Prakasan, who was named as 10th accused in the list was acquitted by the court.

It is alleged that the CPM plotted the murder after Sooraj, a former party worker, joined the BJP.

“ Justice is served to Sooraj after 20 years. In 2004, the same accused attempted to murder Sooraj. He was bedridden for six months following this incident. CPM local secretary Prabhakaran Master, the seventh case accused in the case, had filed a fake complaint against Sooraj a week before plotting the murder in 2005. On August 7, 2005, the gang of murders encountered Sooraj near FCI godown around 8.45 am. They hacked him with multiple weapons, including machetes and axes,” said the lawyer who appeared for Sooraj’s family.

The first six accused in the case are facing charges under IPC 143, 147, 148, 302, 123B and arms act for rioting, unlawful assembly and murder.

CPM leaders Prabhakaran master, Radhakrishnan, Padmanabhan who are booked as 7th, 8th and 9th accused in the case are convicted for conspiracy charges. Pradeepan, 11th accused in the case was found guilty for giving asylum to the first accused.

The confession of Rajeesh during the trial of the TP Chandrasekharan murder case was a major breakthrough for police in reopening the probe into the case and tracing the culprits. Initially, police booked Rajeesh and Manoraj in the case. Further probe revealed the involvement of other accused.