Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
The Thalassery Principal Sessions Court on Friday, September 26, acquitted all the accused in the 2015 murder of CPI(M) worker VV Preman, citing lack of evidence.
Preman, also known as Onion Preman, was attacked by a group on February 25, 2015, at Chittariparamba in Kannur. He sustained grievous injuries on both legs and succumbed to his wounds at a hospital the following day.
Ten BJP-RSS workers were originally arrested in connection with the case. The second accused, Shyamaprasad, was later killed in another political clash. The remaining nine accused — Sajesh C, Prajesh D, Inchikandi Nishanth, Lijin P, Manpaddy Vineesh, C Rajeesh, Nikhil N, R Ramesh, and Renjith CV — have been acquitted.
Delivering the verdict, Principal Sessions Judge K T Nizar observed that the prosecution failed to establish the accused’s direct involvement in the murder.
According to advocate P Premarajan, who represented the accused, six people initially named in the FIR were later dropped, and the present accused were arraigned instead. He said that the defence was able to establish before the court that the accused were not present at the crime scene.
The case, rooted in Kannur’s long history of political violence between CPI(M) and BJP-RSS cadres, had drawn significant attention when it was first registered.
The accused were initially charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with provisions of the Indian Penal Code, and were released on bail six months after their arrest. The trial, which began in March 2024, saw the examination of 65 witnesses and the submission of 135 documents before the court.