Man gets life sentence for killing schoolboy in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram | A court here on Tuesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the shocking murder of a 15-year-old schoolboy in Kattakada in this district, in 2023.

The Thiruvananthapuram Additional Sessions Court-VI Judge Vishnu K found the accused, Priyaranjan, guilty of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

The crime took place on August 30, 2023. Adisekhar, a class 10 student and son of Arun Kumar and Deepa, had just finished playing football with friends at the Bhadrakali Temple ground.

As he was about to ride home on his bicycle, Priyaranjan, who was waiting in a parked car, suddenly drove the car into him at high speed.

Prosecutors said the murder was not an accident.

They told the court that Priyaranjan held a grudge against Adisekhar because the boy had once questioned him for urinating on a temple wall.

The attack was described as a planned and cruel act.

The key evidence included CCTV footage from the scene, 30 witness statements, 43 documents, and 11 physical items.

Witnesses included Adisekhar's friends, who were playing football with him at the time.

One of them said he helped take the injured boy to hospital in the same car used in the attack.

Both the bicycle used by Adisekhar and the Mahindra XUV electric car used in the crime were shown in court. Witnesses identified both correctly.

The defence claimed that there was a technical fault in the car and that the crash was accidental.

But, the court rejected this, accepting the prosecution's argument that the act was intentional and that the vehicle was fully functional.

It was also shown that the accused drove the car after the incident, proving control of the vehicle.

The case was investigated by Kattakkada Circle Inspector Shibu, and the charge sheet was filed by the local police.

Special Public Prosecutor V S Vineeth Kumar and Advocate Tony J Sam appeared for the prosecution.