The brothers were booked under the UP Gangsters Act in connection with the murder of the then BJP MLA from Ghazipur, Krishnanad Rai, on November 29, 2005 and the kidnapping-murder of Varanasi-based trader Nand Kishore Rungta in 1997.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's Special Court in Kochi on Thursday sentenced former Inspector General of Police K Lakshamana to life imprisonment in the Naxal Varghese murder case. On Wednesday, the court had convicted Lakshamana for the brutal killing of Varghese, who was shot dead in Waynad forests 40 years ago.The accused was convicted under Section 302 and Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
Earlier, senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the former Lakshadweep MP, had submitted that the person has not been reinstated as an MP despite his conviction and sentence being stayed by the high court.
The chopped body parts of the deceased were exhumed from the premises of the couple's house at Elanthoor village in Pathanamthitta Wednesday.
About 40 per cent of sitting MPs have criminal cases registered against them out of which 25 per cent have declared serious criminal cases under charges of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crimes against women, according to poll rights body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The list also includes two notorious fugitives -- Sukumara Kurup, never nabbed in connection with a murder and Dr Edadi Omana -- who had given the slip to the investigating agencies, and have remained untraceable for several years.
In Kerala, 95 out of 135 MLAs, accounting for 70 per cent, have declared criminal cases against themselves.
The official said the crackdown also covered 20 other suspects.
A special NIA court in Kerala on Wednesday convicted six persons, who are allegedly members of the now banned radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), in the sensational hand chopping case of a college professor in Kerala in 2010.
He also claimed that the people were asking are all the jobs under Kerala government reserved for cadres and the university jobs for powerful people in Thiruvananthapuram.
The two women, who had earned their daily bread selling lottery tickets on the streets of Kochi, were allegedly sacrificed by the accused to settle their financial issues and bring prosperity in life, police said.
The right hand of TJ Joseph, professor of Newman College in Thodupuzha in Idukki district, was chopped off by alleged PFI activists on July 4, 2010.
Security was stepped up in politically-volatile areas of north Kerala. Two companies of Central Rapid Action Force had been requisitioned by the state government for deployment in Kannur to meet any eventuality, police said.
While initial news reports said Roslin was a lottery seller, her daughter Manju claims her mother sold health products door-to-door for a living even as the accused insisted she had arrived to act in an adult film.
In the midst of the diplomatic row between New Delhi and Rome over the killing of Indian fishermen off Kerala coast, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Steffan de Mistura on Wednesday met Chief Minister Oomen Chandy in Kottayam.
Those convicted included the brother-in-law of Kevin.
Around 62 per cent newly-elected legislators have criminal cases against them in Kerala, while 32 per cent in West Bengal face serious charges including murder and crime against women, a report said on Friday.
A 23-year-old doctor was stabbed to death on Wednesday at a taluk hospital in Kottarakkara area of Kollam district in Kerala allegedly by a man, a school teacher under suspension, who was brought there by police after being involved in a fight with his family members.
A former MLA and a prominent leader from the CPI(M) bastion of Kannur, Jayarajan has been charged under Section 118 of IPC (concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life), in connection with the murder of Muslim League youth activist Abdul Shukkoor at Keezhara in February this year.
Observing that such incidents cannot be expected in a civilised society, where a human being is killed in the name of a ritual without any fear of law, the NHRC said the right to life of the victims has been grossly violated.
One of the lawyers representing the two Youth Congress workers confirmed that the court of judicial first class magistrate in Thiruvananthapuram directed the Valiyathura police to register an FIR.
A sessions court in Kerala on Wednesday awarded double life sentence in the Uthra murder case to the victim's husband for killing his wife using a cobra, saying the crime was 'definitely diabolic, cruel, heinous and dastardly' and committed with 'unparalleled wickedness.'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Lok Sabha member was against the basic tenets of the Constitution and was a 'condemnable' move that highlighted the curtailment of democratic values, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has said.
He said a detailed forensic examination will be conducted at the crime scene, including the house of the accused and the adjacent property at Elanthoor village in Pathanamthitta district, where the victims' bodies were buried after being cut into pieces.
Amnesty International on Friday asked the Kerala authorities to ensure an independent investigation into allegations of police inaction in a case involving the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman in the state.
Police are probing various angles, including the assailants coming from neighbouring Kerala.
Perumbavoor Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar has been removed from the investigating team due to lapses.
While many reports suggest it was an honour killing, the police have refused to accept that angle.
BJP activist Remith was hacked to death in the home town of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday.
Members of the Popular Front of India and its political offshoot Social Democratic Party of India as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were among those involved in the two recent back-to-back murders in Palakkad district, the Kerala police said on Monday.
Aravindan Manikoth, managing editor of the daily Latest, refuted the charge against him saying he was being falsely implicated in the case.
Controversial Telugu Desam Party legislator TV Rama Rao, who is facing a case of alleged rape and murder, is likely to be arrested by the Crime Branch's Criminal Investigation Department. Five girls from Kerala have given a statement to the CID, alleging sexual harassment and attempted rape by the legislator. The Kerala government has also raised the issue with the government of Andhra Pradesh and the central government. Rama Rao has claimed that this was a conspiracy.
The day-long hartal called by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Kerala on Tuesday to protest murder of an activist in Kannur district disrupted normal life across the state.
Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana and Nevin Delvin (24) from Kerala drowned after water gushed into the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar here following heavy rains on July 27.
The sessions court had discharged Venkitaraman for the offence under Section 304 IPC as there was no medical report indicating he was drunk at the time of the accident.
The government on Saturday said a committee will be formed to propose safety measures for healthcare professionals even as OPD services were hit across the country as doctors joined the 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest the alleged rape and murder of a trainee medic in Kolkata.
The social media posts criticising the suo motu initiations of the high court recently drew the ire of Justice Devan Ramachandran, who along with Justice Sophy Thomas, had considered the suo motu PIL on the boat tragedy that occurred on May 7, which claimed 22 lives.
'Healthcare is not an industry.' 'The government is only encouraging insurance as they are not able to provide healthcare to people.' 'Opening new medical colleges is not what is needed.' 'You have to invest in public sector hospitals.' 'You cannot hand over healthcare to the private industry.'
'One after the other, they have committed four murders (Dabholkar, Pansare, Kalburgi, Gauri Lankesh)...' 'They feel they will not have to face the consequences of their actions as it is a favourable time for them.'
A controversy has erupted over a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist and accused in a murder case placing a turban on the head of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to Thiruvananthapuram last week. The incident, which has also raised security issues, happened when Singh visited the SreePadmanabhaswamyTemple last Saturday.
