Chenthamara Sentenced to Life in 2019 Murder Case

Palakkad: A court here on Saturday handed down life imprisonment to 54-year-old Chenthamara for the brutal 2019 murder of 36-year-old Sajitha, wife of Sudhakaran, at Ponthundi near Nenmara.
Additional District and Sessions Court-IV Judge Kenneth George sentenced Chenthamara to life under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 449 (house trespass). He was also handed a five-year term under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and fined a total of Rs 3.15 lakh for related offences, with all sentences to run concurrently. Since the court noted that recovering the fine from the convict was unlikely, it instructed the District Legal Services Authority to provide financial support to the deceased’s family.
Prosecution accounts revealed that Chenthamara had hacked Sajitha to death at her home. Following his release on bail, he allegedly murdered 53-year-old Sudhakaran and his 72-year-old mother Lakshmi earlier this year in broad daylight, allegedly driven by resentment against the family, whom he believed had interfered in his personal life.
Sajitha’s daughters, Athuliya and Akhila, attended the court to hear the verdict. “Our only demand is that he should never be released. We fear what might happen if he comes out. We hope he receives the maximum punishment in the double-murder case,” they said.
Palakkad District Police Chief Ajit Kumar said the conviction was secured based on strong scientific and forensic evidence. “We examined 44 witnesses and collected critical evidence, including footprint marks and a torn piece of cloth from the accused’s pocket, which were key to the investigation,” he said. A separate case for threatening witnesses was also brought to the court’s attention.
Public Prosecutor MJ Vijayakumar said the court upheld all arguments presented by the prosecution. “We had sought the death penalty, but since the trial in the double-murder case is ongoing, the court opted for life imprisonment. We will not appeal for a harsher sentence,” he said. He added that the court, while noting it could not legally deny parole to the convict, ordered protective measures for witnesses and those affected.
The prosecution also revealed that mitochondrial (mtDNA) forensic testing was employed for the first time in the state during this investigation. According to reports, Chenthamara showed no remorse and was deemed beyond reform, though mentally stable.