Nenmara double murder case: Court cites ‘rarest of rare’ crime, awards death sentence to Chenthamara

The Additional District and Sessions Court-IV, Palakkad, on Monday sentenced 62-year-old repeat offender Chenthamara to death for the brutal double murder of his neighbours, Sudhakaran and his 75-year-old mother, Lakshmi, at Boyan Unnathi in Pothundy, Nenmara, in 2025.

Pronouncing the sentence, Additional District and Sessions Judge Kenneth George held that the case falls within the “rarest of rare” category. The court observed that the convict had shown no repentance and had instead attempted to justify his crimes.

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It further noted that Chenthamara committed the double murder while on bail in an earlier murder case, thereby violating his bail conditions and demonstrating that he remained a persistent threat to public safety.

In addition to the death sentence, the court imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh, directing that the amount be paid to the orphaned daughters of the victims. As Chenthamara has no means to pay the fine, the court directed the state government to provide the compensation.

The court ruled that the offender deserved the maximum punishment, taking into account the nature of the crime, the convict’s criminal antecedents, and the likelihood of his committing similar offences in the future.

Earlier, while hearing arguments on sentencing, the court asked Chenthamara whether he had anything to say before the sentence was pronounced. He initially replied that he had “nothing to say” but calmly added, “You may sentence me to death,” after being informed that the offence carried capital punishment.

When the court referred to a District Probation Officer’s report warning that he was likely to reoffend, Chenthamara responded, “I am not like Gandhi. If I get hit, I hit back.” He further said, “Only when it happens to you will you understand the pain…I won’t start it, but if it comes to me, I won’t spare them.” The court interpreted these remarks as clear evidence of his lack of remorse.

Earlier, on July 13, the court had found Chenthamara guilty of brutally murdering his neighbour, Sudhakaran (55), and Sudhakaran’s mother, Lakshmi (75), under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the prosecution, Chenthamara hacked Sudhakaran and Lakshmi to death on January 27, 2025. The attack took place shortly after he was released on bail in connection with the earlier murder of Sudhakaran’s 35-year-old wife, Sajitha. The prosecution alleged that Chenthamara believed Sajitha and her family were responsible for his wife and daughter leaving him, and that this suspicion motivated the killings.

Earlier, on August 31, 2019, Chenthamara had allegedly broken into Sajitha’s house and murdered her. He was subsequently convicted in that case and sentenced to double life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 3.25 lakh.

The trial in the subsequent double murder case lasted 70 days, from February 23 to May 6, 2026. The prosecution listed 132 witnesses, of whom 81 were examined. During the proceedings, four witnesses, including one of the accused’s relatives, turned hostile.

The victims’ family witnessed the sentencing, bringing an 18-month legal process to a close. Present in the courtroom were Sudhakaran’s daughters, Akhila and Athulya, and Sajitha’s sister, Saritha.

Speaking to reporters after the verdict, Athulya and Akhila welcomed the judgment and reaffirmed their faith in the judicial system. Akhila said, “We are grateful to everyone who worked for this. We are happy that he has been sentenced to death.”

The sisters said they would not return to their home in Pothundy because it was filled with painful memories of their murdered parents and grandmother. They are currently staying with relatives. Akhila said, “We have the memories of our father and everyone else there. We cannot go back. It is too painful. Every visit brings back those memories.”