NationalMonday, 20 July 2026·The Hindu - National
Kerala Palakkad double murder case: death penalty, ₹20 lakh fine and rarest-of-rare ruling
A Palakkad court sentenced convict Chenthamara to death in the Pothundy twin murder case and imposed ₹20 lakh compensation for the victims’ orphaned daughters.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On July 20, 2026, the Additional District and Sessions Court-IV, Palakkad, sentenced Chenthamara to death by hanging in the Pothundy twin murder case, holding that the murders of Sudhakaran, 50, and Lakshmi, 75, fell under the “rarest of rare” category.
Key specifics
- The court imposed a fine of ₹20 lakh for the victims’ orphaned daughters.
- The murders took place on January 27, 2025, at Boyan Colony, Pothundy, near Nenmara.
- Chenthamara had earlier received double life imprisonment and a ₹3.25 lakh fine in October 2025 in the Sajitha murder case.
- The prosecution examined 81 witnesses and relied on scientific and other evidence.
- The court noted premeditation, lack of remorse and a continuing threat to society.
Exam lens
Judiciary + criminal justice question type: “rarest of rare” sentencing, death by hanging, ₹20 lakh compensation, 81 witnesses, Palakkad court; TNPSC may ask how courts assess premeditation and reformability in capital punishment cases.