Overview
- A Palakkad sessions court found 61-year-old Chenthamara guilty of killing his neighbour Sudhakaran and Sudhakaran’s 75-year-old mother Lakshmi on January 27, 2025.
- The court scheduled the sentence hearing for July 15 and prosecutors and the victims’ family have said they will seek the harshest punishment available, including the death penalty.
- Chenthamara was previously convicted for the 2019 murder of Sajitha and had been released on bail before the 2025 killings, a fact that has prompted public anger over police and bail enforcement failures.
- Investigators built a large case file that included a 480-page chargesheet, extensive forensic material, 81 witness examinations and 28 physical exhibits even though some witnesses turned hostile.
- The accused spoke defiantly in court saying he had no remorse and would kill again, the district probation officer warned he poses an ongoing threat, and the victims’ daughters said they remain fearful and want government support.