Kozhikode, Jan 15: A special Court here on Thursday awarded rigorous life sentences to 62 convicted in a case relating to the May 2003 communal attack at Marad beach near here that left nine dead. Earlier in December last year, of the total 139 accused, the court had acquitted 76 others for want of evidence.
Additional Sessions Judge Babu Mathew P Joseph pronounced the sentence.
Of the 62 convicts, who have been sentenced to life, 13 were charged with killing of two persons, while one was charged with three murders.
The remaining life convicts were found guilty of crimes including murder and attempt to murder.
The 63rd accused has been sentenced to five year imprisonment under the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act. He has also been asked to pay a fine of Rs 2000.
Additional Public Prosecutor P D Ravi told reporters that the court did not accept the prosecution`s plea that the case be declared as `rarest of the rare` and therefore, did not award capital punishment to any of the convicts.
The killings were carried out by assailants who reportedly arrived on the beach from across the Chaliyar river by boat late evening on May 2, 2003. The dead, eight of them belonging to majority community, also included one of the accused who was killed accidentally during the attack.
The communal violence, worst-ever in the state`s history, was said to be in sequel to the attack that took place in the same area a year before in which five persons were killed.
While the case was handed over to the Crime Branch on May 5, 2003, the Special Court was set up in 2004.
In all, 252 witnesses were cross-examination in the case.
Meanwhile, Kerala PCC president Ramesh
Chennithala today said the Marad case verdict should serve as
a lesson to those attempting to vitiate the peaceful
atmosphere prevailing in the state.
`The punishment should serve as a lesson to those willing
to take law into their hands`, he told reporters at Kalpetta
in neighbouring Wayanad district.
The outcome of the case should also serve as an
eye-opener to maintain communal amity among all sections, he
said.
However, the BJP`s Kerala unit asked the LDF government
to go on appeal in the Marad case.
BJP state president, P K Krishnadas told reporters
here that the government should go in for an appeal to the
High Court seeking increase in the quantum of punishment.
Sixtytwo convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment in
the May 2003 Marad carnage case in which nine persons were
killed.
Kozhikode district administration has clamped
prohibitory orders in several areas till 8 am tomorrow. Sale
of liquor has also been prohibited during the period.
Bureau Report
