On November 24, 2025, the Kerala High Court in Ernakulam confirmed life sentences for several people involved in a brutal murder case from 2017. The case was about the murder of Jishnu, who was chased and killed by a group of armed men. Here's a breakdown of what happened and the court's decision.
On February 10, 2017, Jishnu was attacked in Karuvatta, a village in Alappuzha. A group of men with swords and other weapons chased him. They thought Jishnu was involved in the murder of their friend Ullas. They followed him to a house where he was brutally killed.
"They broke open the door and entered the house... all the accused cut him with weapons," said Vishnu, Jishnu's brother.
The High Court, with Judges Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K. V. Jayakumar in charge, confirmed the life sentences for accused numbers 2 to 6 and 8. They were found guilty of murder and gathering illegally to commit a crime.
The court relied heavily on eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence. Vishnu, Jishnu's brother, and another friend, Suraj, talked about the attack. Forensic reports showed that the weapons found with the accused matched the injuries on Jishnu's body.
"The evidence of PWs 1 and 2 clearly established that Jishnu was last seen running away... followed by A1 to A6 and A8," the court noted.
The defense pointed out inconsistencies in the testimonies and questioned the reliability of the dying declaration made by Jishnu. However, the court dismissed these arguments, saying the evidence presented was consistent and backed up by other evidence.
The court's decision brings an end to a case that has been ongoing for years. The judgment highlights how important eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence are in proving someone guilty in complicated cases.
"The prosecution has successfully established that accused Nos. 1 to 6 and 8 formed themselves into an unlawful assembly with the common object of committing the murder of Jishnu," the judgment concluded.
