Kerala High Court on Monday acquitted the first accused, Hussain M., in the lynching of a mentally challenged tribal youth in Palakkad, while upholding the conviction of 12 others in the case that had triggered widespread outrage in the state.
A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar dismissed the appeals filed by the remaining convicts in the murder of Madhu.
Madhu, a 27-year-old tribal youth from Chindakki Ooru in Attappadi, was lynched by a mob in February 2018 after being accused of stealing rice and grocery items from a shop. There were 16 accused in the case.
Earlier, a Special Court under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Mannarkkad had convicted 14 accused and acquitted two others. In 2023, the trial court sentenced Hussain to rigorous imprisonment for a cumulative term of 11 years and six months under various sections of the IPC, along with a fine.
However, the High Court on Monday set aside Hussain’s conviction and sentence. It also refused to interfere with the acquittal of the fourth accused, Aneesh, and the 11th accused, Abdul Kareem.
The high court upheld the conviction and sentence of Marakkar (second accused), Shamsudheen (third accused), Radhakrishnan (fifth accused), Aboobacker (sixth accused), Sidhique (seventh accused), Ubaid (eighth accused), Najeeb (ninth accused), Jaijumon (10th accused), Sajeev (12th accused), Satheesh (13th accused), Hareesh (14th accused) and Biju (15th accused).
Thirteen accused had earlier been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment after the trial court found them guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other offences.