Four get 8-year RI for Shabeer murder

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four of the five accused in the sensational Vakkom Shabeer murder case were found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder on Thursday. The court of principal sessions judge K Haripal also awarded them eight years of rigorous imprisonment. The 5th accused was acquitted, citing lack of evidence.
The case pertains to the death of 23-year-old Shabeer of Vakkom after being publicly lynched following rivalry between two groups of youths.He was attacked on January 31, 2016 and died the next day in hospital. The graphic visuals of the cold-blooded attack shot by a witness had gone viral on social media.
Though the accused faced murder charges, the prosecution could not prove that they had any intend to murder the victim.
Those found guilty were accused one to four, Satheesh, Santhosh, Vinayak and Kirankumar. Nidhin, the 6th accused, has been acquitted. Fifth accused Reju had committed suicide in September last year after getting out on bail.
The convicts were also imposed a penalty of Rs 21,000 each. The amount must be handed over to the mother of Shabeer.
Public prosecutor Paraniyam Devakumar said that though the prosecution had argued to prove the murder charges, the lesser sentence could not be considered as a setback.
“The video showed the accused targeting the victim’s legs with wooden logs. The only injury on the head was caused while they were chasing the victim. The court was convinced that these factors suggested that they did not have the intent to kill the victim,” the prosecutor said. The 5th accused was acquitted because he was not seen on the video, the primary evidence.
The prosecution examined as many as 43 witnesses, 74 documents and 22 material objects as part of the trial.