Nanthancode murders: Cadell gets life imprisonment

Thiruvananthapuram: The Additional Sessions Court-VI here on Tuesday awarded life imprisonment to Cadell Jeanson Raja (37), the sole accused in the Nanthancode family murder case. The court also sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment under Section 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house) and five years under Section 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC and directed that the two punishments be served consecutively, public prosecutor Dileep Sathyan said.

The court further ruled that the life term shall commence after the 12 years are served. In total, the 37-year-old accused must remain in jail for 24 years, until he turns 61, the public prosecutor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh on the accused and directed that the amount should be given to his maternal uncle.

On Monday, the court found Cadell guilty of murdering his parents Prof Raja Thankam (60) and Jean Padma (58), sister Caroline (26), and a relative, Lalitha (70), at their home in Bains Compound, Nanthancode, near Cliff House — the official residence of the chief minister — on April 5 and 6, 2017. The bodies were found on April 9. The charred remains of his parents and sister were found inside the house, while Lalitha’s dismembered body was stuffed in a sack.

“The court did not award the death penalty considering that he is undergoing treatment for mental illness. But the verdict is rare as the accused has to undergo sentences under each section separately. Usually, courts order that sentences run concurrently, but considering the gravity of the crime, the court awarded him the maximum punishment,” the prosecutor said.

The court did not entertain the defence counsel’s plea for leniency in sentencing, citing his mental health issues and age. It observed that the accused had no mental illness at the time of the crime, noting that a mentally ill person could not have planned and executed such a heinous act with such determination and meticulousness. The crime came to light only because the fire he had lit to destroy the bodies went out of control and gutted the house. Leaving the bodies behind, he escaped to Chennai.

Mohan Roy, former assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the Medical College Hospital, told the court that Cadell had no mental illness. Forensic expert Akshara Veena told the court that 31 burn injuries were found on Cadell’s body at the time of his arrest.