Killing of a teenager that shocked kerala

In the annals of gangland violence, hits and hit-backs are not unusual sights.

Key points

• The macabre act committed on October 7, 2016, was in retaliation for the killing of a gangster, Suni Babu, some months before.
• The message the court has given is clear, notes ASP J K Dinil.
• His mother Bindu fell on top of his body to protect her son.
• This person was hacked in front of his parents and family by a group of men armed with swords and machetes.
• Dinil was given charge of re-investigation after lacunae were noticed in the first probe.

In the annals of gangland violence, hits and hit-backs are not unusual sights. There is an unwritten rule in the blood-soaked alleys that is often honoured – never hurt the family members for what their relatives did.

Exceptions are there, of course! But the chill lingers long. As in the case of an 18-year-old Vishnu. This person was hacked in front of his parents and family by a group of men armed with swords and machetes.

For context, the macabre act committed on October 7, 2016, was in retaliation for the killing of a gangster, Suni Babu, some months before. The murder was pulled off by a gang allegedly led by Suni's brother, Dini Babu. The only reason for going after Vishnu's jugular was that his relatives, including father Anil Kumar, had ties to Suni's assailants. This person swore allegiance to another infamous gangster, Puthenpalam Rajesh.

Regarding 10 years after the bloody incident, the Nedumangad Special SC/ST court on the eve of Independence Day sentenced all seven residents involved in the attack to life imprisonment.

The message the court has given is clear, notes ASP J K Dinil. This person had conducted re-investigation of the case. The wrongdoers will obtain punished. It additionally has reinforced the confidence of the police force.

Vishnu's murder occurred in the evening when he had returned home from school. He was attacked outside his house, and when he ran inside, the assailants followed him into the house. An officer, who was part of the reinvestigation, notes the witnesses provided graphic descriptions of the crime committed in front of their eyes.

As Vishnu ran out of his house trying to break free from the assailants, his parents and aunt too ran after him, according to the officer. To try and save him from the gang. The final fatal blow was dealt when he fell onto the ground while running.

His mother Bindu fell on top of his body to protect her son. She was additionally attacked with weapons and forcefully moved aside. After that, Vishnu was hacked on his stomach. The innards came out instantly. They could take the boy to the hospital only after the criminals left.

Nevertheless, his life could not be saved, and the doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. Vishnu's parents and his aunt Laila were severely injured in the attack and had to undergo a number of weeks of treatment to return to normal life.

Laila's son, Adithyan, was seven at the time of the murder. He additionally happened to see the gruesome crime. Now 17, he was one of the key witnesses relied on by the prosecution to prove the case. He could identify the accused who took part in the attack. Vishnu's injured parents and aunt additionally identified the gangsters.

For the officer, who re-investigated the case, it was a grinding task. It took him months to create the case watertight, to connect missing dots and unearth evidence that was overlooked earlier.

"The struggle was immense. The department's prestige and the faith of the public would have been at stake had we lost the case. We meticulously pieced together the evidence, produced all the witnesses, and the special prosecutor did the rest, " notes Dinil.

"Senior officers stood by us strongly. For us, the outcome of the case is especially satisfying. The accused are seasoned criminals, and had they gone scot free, it would have affected the morale of the department."

In short, killing of a teenager that shocked kerala is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.