The Kerala High Court, in a significant ruling on Tuesday, sentenced seven workers of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to life imprisonment for their involvement in the 2015 murder of C K Shibin, a Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activist, in Kozhikode district.
The case, which has been under judicial scrutiny since Shibin’s murder, saw a pivotal turn when the High Court overturned a 2016 decision by the Kozhikode additional sessions court that had acquitted all 17 accused. The appeal leading to this verdict was filed by the state along with the father of the deceased, urging a re-evaluation of the case evidence.
Presided over by Justices P B Suresh Kumar and C Pratheep Kumar, the division bench not only convicted the seven IUML activists but also imposed a substantial fine of Rs 1,10,000 on each. The court mandated that Rs 5,00,000 from the collected fines be paid as compensation to Shibin’s father, with the remaining balance to be equally distributed among individuals who sustained injuries during the incident.
The court’s order detailed that the police are to arrest and present the convicted individuals on October 15 for a sentencing hearing. This decision addresses grievances from January 22, 2015, when Shibin, aged 19, was fatally attacked near Thooneri by an armed gang allegedly linked to the IUML.
