SDPI activist Zainul Abid, aged 24, was assaulted with sharp-edged weapons near the old bus stand on MG Road in Kasaragod on December 22, 2014. He succumbed to his injuries a day later.
Kasaragod: A court in Kasaragod, Keralam, on Saturday, October 17, acquitted 21 BJP-RSS workers accused in the 2014 murder of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activist Zainul Abid, ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges against them. The verdict came nearly 12 years after Abid was attacked outside his family’s shop in Kasaragod.
The verdict was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge Achindya Raj Unni. The acquittal included local BJP leaders Mahesh K, Udayan, Prasanth, Prathap and Hareesh B, among those named as accused.
According to reports, the prosecution’s case was weakened by the death of the victim’s father, who was the key eyewitness, and the lack of sufficient evidence to establish the accused persons’ involvement. Abid’s family has expressed disappointment with the verdict and indicated that it intends to challenge the decision in court.
How the 2014 Murder Took Place?
The incident occurred on the night of December 22, 2014, near the old bus stand on MG Road in Kasaragod. Abid, who was 24 at the time, was helping his father, K A Muhammad Kunhi, close their mattress and furniture shop when a group of assailants allegedly entered the premises and attacked him with sharp weapons.
The attackers fled after the assault, while people from nearby shops rushed to the spot after hearing the victim’s cries. Abid was first admitted to a private hospital in Kasaragod before being moved to Mangaluru after his condition worsened. He died of his injuries on December 23, 2014.
The police registered a murder case and arrested 21 BJP-RSS workers in connection with the incident.
According to the prosecution’s account, the killing was allegedly a retaliatory attack linked to an earlier attempt on the life of RSS worker Jyothish Kumar. Abid was also an accused in the case relating to that incident. Investigators alleged that people associated with Jyothish attacked Abid in revenge. These allegations formed part of the prosecution’s case and were not established against the accused in the trial.
Why the Court Acquitted the Accused
The prosecution was unable to prove the charges to the court’s satisfaction. The trial involved statements from 81 witnesses, while the court also examined 150 documents and 20 physical exhibits as part of the evidence.
Reports also said that the identification parade conducted during the investigation could not be relied upon as sufficient evidence in court. The prosecution’s inability to establish the accused persons’ involvement through adequate scientific and other admissible evidence further weakened its case.
The court ultimately acquitted the accused after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges. The verdict represents a failure to establish criminal liability in this case; it does not, by itself, establish who was responsible for Abid’s killing.
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Investigation and the Family’s Response
The investigation was conducted by a police team that included Deputy Superintendent of Police T P Ranjith, Circle Inspector P K Sudhakaran and Sub-Inspector M Rajesh, under the supervision of the then Kasaragod district police chief, Thompson Jose. Sudhakaran subsequently filed the chargesheet.
Following the verdict, Abid’s relatives expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome and said they would appeal against the acquittal. The family has raised concerns about alleged shortcomings in the investigation.
The case highlights the difficulties that can arise in a criminal trial when a key witness dies before giving evidence in court and the remaining material does not sufficiently establish the charges. In a murder prosecution, allegations and statements recorded during an investigation must be supported by evidence that can legally be considered by the court.
A Case Against the Backdrop of Political Tensions
Abid’s murder took place amid political tensions in Kasaragod, a district in northern Keralam that has witnessed several politically charged killings over the years. The case involved allegations of retaliatory violence between individuals associated with rival political organisations.
The prosecution had alleged that the accused were involved either directly in the attack or in the conspiracy behind it. The defence, meanwhile, maintained that the accused had been implicated because of political rivalry.
With the verdict delivered after almost 12 years, the immediate next step rests with the victim’s family if it proceeds with its stated plan to appeal. Any challenge to the acquittal will be considered through the applicable legal process.
