India | Nenmara double murder case: Kerala court awards death sentence to repeat offender Chenthamara

Earlier, while convicting Chenthamara, the court had asked whether he wished to say anything before sentencing. He initially replied that he had "nothing to say."

PALAKKAD: In a significant judgment, the Additional District and Sessions Court-IV, Palakkad, on Monday sentenced Chenthamara (62) to death for the brutal double murder of his neighbours Sudhakaran and his 75-year-old mother Lakshmi at Boyan Unnathi in Pothundy, Nenmara in 2025.

In addition to the death penalty, the court imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh and ordered that this amount be paid as compensation to the victims' family.

Pronouncing the sentence, Additional District and Sessions Judge Kenneth George held that the case falls under the ‘rarest of rare’ category. The court observed that the convict had shown no remorse for his actions and continued to justify the killings. The court also noted that Chenthamara had committed the double murder while out on bail in an earlier murder case, in clear violation of the bail conditions, demonstrating a continuing threat to society.

The court held that the circumstances warranted the maximum punishment, taking into account the nature of the crime, the convict's criminal antecedents, and the likelihood of him committing similar offences again.

Earlier, while convicting Chenthamara, the court had asked whether he wished to say anything before sentencing. He initially replied that he had "nothing to say." When informed that the offence was punishable with death, he responded without emotion, "You may sentence me to death."

Public Prosecutor M.J. Vijayakumar urged the court to award the death penalty, arguing that Chenthamara had exhibited no remorse whatsoever for his crimes and continued to justify the killings. In contrast, defence counsel Jacob Mathew appealed for the minimum possible sentence, submitting that the accused had shown remorse and deserved leniency.

When the court referred to the District Probation Officer's report stating that he was likely to commit offences again, Chenthamara remarked, "I am not like Gandhi. If I get hit, I hit back." He further told the court, "Only when it happens to you will you understand the pain. It hasn't happened to you yet. I won't start it, but if it comes to me, I won't spare them." The court viewed these statements as further evidence of his lack of repentance.

The victims' family was present in court when the sentence was pronounced. Akhila and Athulya, daughters of the deceased Sudhakaran, along with Saritha, sister of the late Sajitha, witnessed the culmination of the legal proceedings that began nearly 18 months ago.

The prosecution established that the murders stemmed from Chenthamara's deep-seated grudge against Sajitha, whom he blamed for the breakdown of his family. Sajitha was hacked to death by Chenthamara on August 31, 2019.

After being arrested in that case, Chenthamara was released on bail. On January 27, 2025, he allegedly hacked Sajitha's husband Sudhakaran and his elderly mother Lakshmi to death outside their residence.

In the Sajitha murder case, the same court had, on October 18, 2025, sentenced Chenthamara to double life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3.25 lakh.

The case had also exposed lapses in policing. Despite Sajitha's children informing the Nenmara police that Chenthamara was violating his bail conditions by staying at his residence in Boyan Unnathi, no preventive action was taken. The failure later led to the suspension of the then Nenmara Inspector and other police personnel.

Source: newindianexpress.com, Staff, July 20, 2026

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