Kollam: The Kollam principal sessions court on Wednesday sentenced notorious criminal Antony Vaghese alias Aadu Antony, 52, to life in jail for the murder of policeman Maniyan Pillai. He will also spend consecutive 15 years in prison and will have to pay a penalty of Rs 4.45 lakh.
The court had found him guilty of murdering Pillai and stabbing another police officer, K. Joy, while they were on night patrol on June 26, 2012 at Parippally here.
The court sentenced Antony to life under IPC 302 for murder, ten years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC 307 for attempt to murder, three years under IPC 333 for attacking public servants and inflicting wounds, one year under IPC 468 for forgery for the purpose of cheating, and another year under IPC 471 for using forged documents.
He needs to serve 15 years for various sections consecutively after the life imprisonment if he gets relaxation in the life-term.
From the penalty amount incurred under different sections, Rs 2 lakh should be given to the family of the slain policeman and Rs 2 lakh to Mr Joy.
Both the victims can approach the Kerala Legal Services Authority to claim compensation under Section 362-A of IPC.
Court proceedings
Antony was brought to the court by 10.50 am under tight security . The court considered the case by 11.10 am after which the sections under which he was found guilty were read out to him. He calmly heard the charges and said, “I am innocent.”
He repeated the words when the court asked him whether he had to say anything more. By 11.45 am, the court deferred the sentence to be pronounced after lunch.
The courtroom was filled with people as the court was about to pronounce the sentence by 2.15 pm. The prosecution argued that though the case does not fall in the rarest of the rare category, society wished to see him get the maximum punishment.
Prosecution lawyer G. Mohanraj also cited the case of Gopal Vinayak Godse versus State of Maharashtra of 1961 in which it was stated that life imprisonment means to be in prison until the end of biological life, arguing for awarding life term to Antony.
The trial was completed in nine days I which 30 witnesses were examined. The court considered 72 documents and 32 pieces of evidence.
“Maniyan Pillai was killed while he was on duty,” Mr Mohanraj told DC. “Only these two policemen and Antony were present at the spot when the rest of the world was sleeping. The service policemen render to society often goes unnoticed.”
