Maoist activist Rupesh was given a total jail term of 62 years, including two 10-year terms for rigorous imprisonment on 13 counts, and a fine of ₹2 lakh by the Kochi special court of the National Investigation Agency in the Vellamunda Maoist case.
However, the effective jail term will be for 10 years as all the punishments will run concurrently.
Special judge K. Kamanees had earlier found Rupesh and three other accused guilty of offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The court convicted them for being members of a banned terrorist organisation and engaging themselves in terrorist activity and supporting a terrorist organisation, which are scheduled offences under the UAPA. They were also found guilty of offences booked under the Indian Penal Code.
The NIA case is that the accused, members of the proscribed terror organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist), trespassed on the house of policeman A.B. Pramod, trained guns on him and terrorised him and his family members and threatened them with dire consequences on April 24, 2014 at Vellamunda in Wayanad in Kerala.
Rupesh will have to be in jail for nearly one year and five months in this case as he has been in custody since his arrest on July 9, 2015.
Ajitha, the second accused, was killed in an exchange of fire with the Kerala Police in a forest area of Manchakandi in Agali on October 28, 2019. Two accused in the case are absconding.
Kanya, the fourth accused, was awarded a total jail term of 43 years, including rigorous imprisonment for six years, on 12 counts. The accused will in effect be jailed for six years.
Shyam, the seventh accused, was awarded imprisonment for 21 years, including rigorous imprisonment for eight years, and a fine of ₹30,000. The effective jail term for the accused will be eight years.
Babu, the eighth accused, will have to spend six years in jail as the court awarded him two terms of rigorous imprisonment for six years each and a fine of ₹20,000.
