Four of the accused in the alleged murder of police constable K.V. Vinod during the Muthanga land agitation have approached the Kerala High Court in an appeal against the order by the Principal Session Court, Kalpetta, finding them guilty.

The accused, social activist M. Geethanandan, Rameshan, Binu and Anilkumar, were found guilty of attempting to murder Senior Civil Police Officer Abdul Salam, kidnapping Forest Range Officer P.K. Sasidharan, causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons, and offences against public tranquillity. They were sentenced to a term of rigorous imprisonment for 5 years and ₹36,000 fine.

The petition alleged that the Kalpetta court had erred in charging the accused, and sought to quash the conviction and sentence therein. The accused reasoned that the court had only found conspiracy charges prima facie, and contended that such a finding did not fulfill the legal requirements of the offence.

The Kalpetta court had exonerated the accused for the charges of murder, abduction and dacoity, stating that the prosecution had failed to establish charge of criminal conspiracy against Geethanandan and others. In their case before the High Court, the petitioners claimed that the Kalpetta court should have found criminal conspiracy against them beyond reasonable doubt.

The Kalpetta court had delivered its judgment on July 31, 23 years after the Muthanga land agitation took place in 2003, when armed police and forest officials had moved into the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary to evict hundreds of indigenous families. The families occupied the reserved forest land, united under the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha (AGMS), raising demands for equitable land distribution.

Out of the 57 persons accused, 15 had passed away before the trial’s conclusion. Asokan, the second accused and one of those who had died, had been found guilty of delivering the fatal blow to the police constable.

Published - August 05, 2026 07:48 pm IST