Kasargod: A man was sentenced to eight years of rigorous imprisonment for killing his father after an argument turned violent at their home in East Eleri's Athirumavu Colony in Malom. The Kasargod Additional Sessions Court (I), presided over by Judge A Manoj, also imposed a fine of ₹ 50,000 on the accused, Aneesh (36).

Despite key witnesses- including his mother Radhamani, siblings Saneesh and Divya, and neighbours- turning hostile, the court found him guilty based on forensic and circumstantial evidence.

On June 28, 2019, around 11.45 pm, Aneesh returned home after buying a bottle of liquor from Mulleria, where he worked. He shared a drink with his father, Damodaran (62), a daily wage labourer. The two got into an argument, which escalated when Damodaran allegedly tried to attack Radhamani with a knife.

Aneesh intervened, grabbing the weapon, but in the scuffle, he cut his hand. Enraged, he reportedly told his father, "I will end your trouble today," before striking him on the head with firewood. Damodaran bled to death.

Though eyewitnesses retracted their statements, scientific evidence proved decisive. Blood from Aneesh’s injured hand was found on both Damodaran’s clothes and the firewood. The prosecution presented 24 witnesses, 39 documents, and 11 pieces of material evidence in court.

Inspector K P Vinod Kumar, then a sub-inspector at Chittarikkal Police Station, investigated the case.

Additional government pleader E Lohithakshan and Advocate Athira Balan led the prosecution.

Aneesh is also facing a separate POCSO case for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl.