Overview

• A division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar set aside the 2018 convictions, holding the charges were not proved beyond reasonable doubt.
• The court branded the CBI probe 'tainted' and 'vitiated', faulting coercion of witnesses into becoming approvers and filing key applications before courts lacking jurisdiction.
• The death sentence of K. Jithakumar was overturned, while co-accused S. V. Sreekumar had died in 2020 during the appeal, and TK Haridas, T Ajithkumar, and EK Sabu were also acquitted.
• Prosecutors had cited a post-mortem noting severe injuries and alleged document fabrication by officers, but the bench highlighted major contradictions and investigative defects.
• Udayakumar’s mother, Prabhavati, who pushed for the CBI takeover, broke down after the verdict and protested the acquittals.