While awarding the maximum punishment to convicts in the Ranjith Sreenivas murder case, Mavelikara Additional District Sessions Court-I Judge Sreedevi V.G. observed that “of course, it is a political murder. But, there is a clear distinction between a usual political murder and this case.”
“The crime committed was not only shocking, but it had also jeopardized society. The awarding of a lesser sentence only on the ground of the accused being young could not be considered a mitigating circumstance in view of the fact that the murder committed was most cruelly, heinously and dastardly,” reads the judgement adding that a holistic examination of the material on record shows that the barbaric offence in question could only be termed as a “rarest of rare case.”
The court citing the report submitted by the State said that the accused persons hardcore criminals and “there is no chance for reformation because they are very deeply interested in the affairs of the said organisation (Popular Front of India/ Social Democratic Party of India) which is widespread in the country and in case such activities are allowed to continue in society, it would hamper the peace in society. Moreover, it should be deterred, for which, a deterrent punishment is required.” The court noted that the accused have justified the act “for their organisation.”
