Biju Radhakrishnan gets life term, mom 3 years in murder case

Kollam: Solar scam accused Biju Radhakrishnan has been sentenced to life term for murdering his wife Reshmi and his mother Rajammal to three-year rigorous imprisonment for cruelty towards Reshmi.

Kollam principal sessions judge Ashok Menon, who pronounced the sentence on Friday, also imposed a fine of Rs 2.51 lakh on the accused, which will be paid to the two children of  Reshmi. The two were found guilty on Thursday. Hearing the judgment,  Biju Radhakrishnan screamed  that he should be hanged instead of being jailed.  

The court observed that the case would not come within the definition of rarest of rare inviting capital punishment.

“Though teachers are supposed to be role models, the offences committed indicated that Rajammal was not only not a good role model for her students, but also not a good mother, good mother-in-law or good grandmother. Having witnessed his father torturing his mother, Reshmi' son has been filled with intense dislike for his father and this is what instigated him to disown Biju as a father,”  the court observed.

Biju was sentenced  under IPC 302 for murder and fined  Rs. 1  lakh,  in default of which he shall undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years.

He was also awarded three-year imprisonment under section 323 of IPC for causing hurt and fined  Rs. 1,000 and  in default three months’ imprisonment.

Another rigorous imprisonment of five years and a fine of Rs. 50,000 were  also awarded under 201 of IPC for suppressing evidence.  Failure to pay the fine will entail one more year of imprisonment.   

Biju and Rajammal were sentenced for three-year rigorous imprisonment each under section 498-A of IPC for cruelty against Reshmi for dowry and imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 each, and in in default  six more months of jail term each. Biju can serve the  terms  concurrently.

Reshmi was found dead in Biju's house at Kottarakara on February 3, 2006.  The prosecution case was that Biju forcibly gave  Reshmi  liquor  after physically torturing her.

Later, she was dragged into the toilet and smothered to death. Reshmi, daughter of Parameswaran Pillai and Saradadevi,  married  Biju in 2001 after a love affair. Marrying solar scam accused Saritha S. Nair was the  prime motive of Biju in committing the crime.