Kerala Court Convicts 15 Men Linked To PFI In BJP Leader’s Murder Case

Ranjith Sreenivasan, the state secretary of BJP OBC Morcha, was attacked and killed at his home in the presence of his family on December 19, 2021.

The court is set to pronounce the quantum of punishment in Ranjith Sreenivasan's murder case on Monday.

Source : File Photo

A Kerala court on Saturday convicted 15 men in the murder of BJP OBC wing leader in Alappuzha in December 2021. The convicts are part of the now-banned Islamist group Popular Front of India. Ranjith Sreenivasan, the state secretary of BJP OBC Morcha, was attacked and killed at his home in the presence of his family on December 19, 2021.

On Saturday, the assailants, allegedly linked to PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), were held accountable as the verdict was delivered by the Additional District Sessions Court I in Mavelikkara, according to a report on PTI.

The court is set to pronounce the quantum of punishment on Monday. Notably, the murder followed the killing of SDPI leader K S Shan on the night of December 18, just hours before Sreenivasan's murder. The SDPI had alleged that Shan was killed by the RSS and BJP workers.

Ranjith was a leading lawyer in the Alappuzha Bar Council and a prominent face of the BJP in the district. When the arrest of the accused was reportedly delayed at the time of the murder, Kerala BJP President K Surendran, as per IANS said, "The Kerala Police have become dormant and inefficient, and the killers of advocate Ranjith Sreenivasan are still at large and it seems that the SDPI criminals are getting protection from the top. How else can one understand the inefficiency of police? It's been one week now since the prominent advocate was killed in broad daylight in his home. Kerala Police should immediately arrest these criminals to give justice."

The Congress also came out heavily against the state police. The Congress asked, "Why is the Kerala Police lethargic in arresting criminals who have done a heinous murder in broad daylight in the heart of Alappuzha city."