KANNUR: Additional District Sessions Court II judge P.N. Vinod on Thursday sentenced six RSS workers to life imprisonment for the murder of CPM worker Thazhayil Ashraf, 22, at Rayees Motors, a firm near Panoor bus stand, on February 5, 2002. They are Thazhe Kandi Subin, Puthiyottil Aneesh, 31, Valiyaparambath Rajeevan, 38, Thekke Panoor natives P.P. Purushothaman, 41, NK Rajesh, 38, and K. Ratheesan, 39. The judge also slapped '70,000 each as fine on them, to be paid to the family of the victim.
If failed to remit the money, they have to undergo another two years of imprisonment. The murder followed a quarrel over a temple ritual. The prosecution examined two witnesses P.P. Rashid and K.V. Salam, apart from police officials M. Vijayan, A.P. Shoukathali, K.S. Baby Vinod and K.N. Rajeevan.
During the fifteen-year-long legal proceedings, three judges heard the case. District government pleader Adv B. Saseendran and Adv Binisha appeared for the prosecution.
