Kerala Court Sentences 82-Year-Old to Death for 2022 Arson Murders of Son’s Family
The Thodupuzha sessions court labeled the 2022 arson killings 'rarest of rare', imposing a fine plus an extra prison term.
Overview
- Judge Ash K. Bal of the Muttom First Additional Sessions Court in Thodupuzha issued the death sentence two days after the conviction on October 28.
- The sentence includes a ₹6 lakh fine and an additional 10 years' imprisonment for setting the house on fire.
- Prosecutors said a property dispute motivated the attack, with the convict bolting the bedroom, draining water supplies and hurling petrol-filled bottles through a window.
- Four family members — his son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters — died in the March 2022 blaze at Cheenikkuzhy in Idukki district.
- Karimannor police filed a 900-page chargesheet within about 80 days, and the trial examined extensive witness testimony and material evidence.