Kerala HC upholds double life sentence to 4 for killing gem dealer in 2012
Aug 12, 2020
Kochi (Kerala) [India], Aug 12 : The Kerala High Court on Wednesday upheld the double life sentence of four persons convicted in connection with the murder of a gem dealer named Harihara Varma in the year 2012.
A division bench of Justice A Hariprasad and Justice N Anil Kumar upheld the verdict of a fast track court which sentenced all four persons -- M Jithesh, Ajeesh, Rakhil, Ragesh -- to double life imprisonment and Rs 3 lakh fine each.
The convicts had moved the High Court challenging the order of the trial court.
Meanwhile, the High Court also acquitted Joseph, another accused in the case, who was also convicted by the fast track court on May 13, 2014. The court also dismissed a plea of the victim's wife against the acquittal of advocate Haridas, who was the sixth accused in the matter.
Haridas, who was a friend of the victim, was acquitted by the trial court.
Harihara Varma, 59, was smothered to death at the residence of Haridas's daughter in Puthoorkonam, about a km away from Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram, on December 24, 2012.
According to the prosecution, Haridas had approached Varma under the guise of buying gemstones and murdered him.
