Ex IGP Lakshamana sentenced to life imprisonment in fake encounter case
By ANIThursday, October 28, 2010
KOCHI - A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here on Thursday sentenced former IGP K Lakshamana to life imprisonment in Naxal leader Arikkad Varghese fake encounter case and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.
CBI Special court judge S Vijay Kumar directed Lakshamana to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 to be given to Varghese’s family.
Judge B Vijayakumar convicted former IG K Lakshmana on Wednesday under Section 302 (murder) read with section 34 (acting with common intention) of IPC.
The accused, however, told the court that he was in his seventies and maximum leniency and humanitarian consideration should be given to him. He also made a plea to be sent to Thiruvananthapuram central jail.
Public Prosecutor Vaikom Purshothamana Nair advocated for maximum punishment to the accused as he had branded a common man as a Naxalite and taken him to Thiruvenlli forests, where he shot Varghese in cold blood with his hands tied.
The court, however, acquitted former DGP K P Vijayan, who was also an accused in the case, giving him the benefit of doubt.
Varghese was gunned down by the police in cold blood in the Thiruvenlli forests in Kerala’s Wayanad district on February 18, 1970 and it was described as an ‘encounter’ death. (ANI)
