Here's a breakdown of the recent court case involving Manoj @ Pambu Manoj and others, who were found guilty of killing Renjith Johnson in Kerala. The decision was given on November 27, 2025.
On May 14, 2019, the Additional Sessions Court in Kollam decided that Manoj and six others were guilty of planning and killing Renjith Johnson. The court sentenced them to life in prison, with at least 25 years to be served without any reduction, along with fines.
"Manoj and the others were sentenced to 10 years of hard imprisonment for planning the crime and life imprisonment for the murder."
The reason for the crime was personal hatred. Manoj's former wife, Jessy, left him for Renjith. Manoj and his friends planned Renjith's murder between August 2 and August 16, 2018, in Kollam.
On August 15, 2018, Renjith was tricked into getting into a car under the excuse of buying pet birds. He was taken to Polachira, where Manoj and the others attacked him, leading to his death. The body was then taken to Tamil Nadu and buried in a hole.
"Accused nos.2 to 5 beat him on his body... He died from the injuries at Polachira."
Renjith's mother reported him missing on August 20, 2018. The police investigation led to the arrest of Manoj and his friends, and the trial began in Kollam. Evidence included witness statements, phone records, and forensic reports.
The appeal was reviewed by Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Jobin Sebastian. While the decision against Manoj and four others was confirmed, two accused were let go because there wasn't enough evidence against them.
"As for accused nos.6 and 7, we do not find enough evidence against them to blame them."
The court confirmed the life imprisonment sentences for Manoj and four others, while two were acquitted due to a lack of evidence. This case shows the importance of a thorough investigation and the role of evidence in achieving justice.
