Overview
- The Wayanad Principal Sessions Court delivered the verdict on Friday, July 31, 2026, acquitting 56 of the 57 surviving accused in the alleged 2003 murder of police constable K. V. Vinod.
- The court found four people guilty in a connected attempt-to-murder case and sentenced M. Geethanandan, Rameshan, Anilkumar and Binu to an effective five years of rigorous imprisonment with fines.
- Judges concluded that the second accused, Ashokan, inflicted the fatal injuries to Vinod but Ashokan died during the trial so no sentence could be imposed for the homicide.
- The court ordered victim compensation under the state scheme, including Rs 7 lakh to Vinod’s family and smaller awards to injured officers, and Vinod’s family said they will appeal the acquittals.
- The verdict closes a more-than-23-year legal process that saw many accused die during the trial and exposes evidentiary gaps—limited eyewitness testimony, heavy smoke and tear gas at the scene, and contested investigation work—while the death of tribal protester Jogi remains unresolved.