The Kerala High Court on Monday significantly enhanced the sentences of 12 individuals convicted in the infamous 2018 Attappadi Madhu mob lynching case, sentencing them to life imprisonment and ordering a Rs. 30 lakh compensation payment to Madhu’s mother.
A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K. V. Jayakumar, overturned a trial court’s lenient sentence. The trial court had earlier sentenced the accused to seven-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh to the accused . The 16th accused was sentenced to only three months in prison.
Along with life imprisonment, the 12 convicts are ordered to pay a fine of Rs. 2 lakh each. The bench ordered them to pay the amount as compensation to Madhu’s grieving mother, Malli.
“In view of the mandatory language of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, the accused nos. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine amount of Rs. 2 lakhs each, and in default of payment of fine, to undergo Simple Imprisonment for 6 months’ for the offences punishable under S. 304 Part II r/w Sections 3(2)(v) of SC/ST Act r/w Section 149 IPC,” the court said.
Earlier on Monday, the Bench had acquitted Hussain, the first accused, and upheld the conviction of 12 others. They were found guilty of the offences under Sections 3(2)(v) and 3(2)(va) in addition to the offences under Sections 304 Part II, 326, 367, 323, 324, 342, 143, 147, 149 IPC and Section 3(1)(d) of the SC/ST.
Marakkar (2nd accused), Shamsuddin (3rd accused), Radhakrishnan (5th accused), Abubacker (6th accused), Siddique (7th accused), Ubaid (8th accused), Najeeb (9th accused), Jaijumon (10th accused), Sajeev (12th accused), Satish (13th accused), Harish (14th accused), and Biju (15th accused) have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Madhu, a 27-year-old mentally challenged tribal youth from Chindakki Ooru in Attappadi, Palakkad district, was captured, tied up, and brutally beaten to death by a mob on February 22, 2018 over false allegations of stealing rice and grocery items. Images and selfies taken by the mob during the humiliation and assault went viral, triggering massive outrage across India regarding the safety and exploitation of marginalized indigenous communities.
Images of the assault, including photographs of Madhu being held and humiliated by members of the mob, had triggered widespread outrage across Kerala.