Binulal murder case: life term for four

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, OCT. 10. Four youth found guilty of the murder of a 26-year-old videographer, Binulal, were today sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life by the Principal Sessions Judge, Mr. M. Sasidharan Nambiar.

The accused were identified as Hashim of Vallakadavu, Murugan alias `Kala Murugan' of Manacaud, Sabu of Chirayankeezhu and Ferry alias `Fredy' of Valiyathura.

Binulal, a videographer attached to a private studio in the city, was stabbed to death behind the Chithira Bar on the Sree Chitra Home-Vanchi Poor Fund road at Thakaraparambu in the Vanchiyoor police station limits on the night of July 10, 1996.

The prosecution case was that the accused were waiting with a common intention and weapons to commit robbery on the ill-lit road at around 8.30 p.m. Binulal was coming out of the bar after consuming liquor.

The armed youth detained Binulal. Hashim drew his dagger and stabbed Binulal in the chest and abdomen. `Kala Murugan' and Sabu who were standing behind Binulal, inflicted fatal injuries on the victim's back with sharp pointed daggers.

According to the prosecution, Binulal fell face down into the overflowing drainage canal on the right side of the road after sustaining nearly a score of fatal injuries. The accused stripped Binulal of his purse, watch and money. Then the gang members fled towards Overbridge.

At the foot of the railway overbridge, which provides a crossing to the Kripa Theatre, the accused waylaid another pedestrian, Mr. Ramayyan. A police patrol party led by constable Vijaykumar, saved Mr. Ramayyan from the clutches of the gang. But in the process, Vijayakumar was stabbed to death by `Kala Murugan'.

When asked by the judge whether they had anything to state before the sentence was passed, Hashim said he repented his crime and pleaded that since he was already undergoing life imprisonment in the Vijayakumar murder case, he be allowed to undergo both sentences concurrently.

`Kala Murugan', who is also serving a life sentence for the murder of police constable Vijayakumar, told the Court that he was being harassed by the jail authorities and he be allowed to undergo both sentences concurrently. Sabu and Freddy, who were serving time for the murder of Vijayakumar, said that they also be allowed to undergo the sentences concurrently.

Arguing for maximum penalty for the accused, the Public Prosecutor, Mr. Rajagopalan Nair, described the murder of Binulal as a ``diabolic act''. Binulal was coming out of the bar after consuming liquor. It would have been easy for anybody to overpower him and strip him of his belongings. Though the motive of the accused was robbery, they had acted without any prick of conscience. The murder was committed with a certain disregard and contempt for human life, Mr. Nair said.

The defence counsel argued that the case did not fall in the rarest of the rare category. Committing murder was never the motive of the accused. The counsel pleaded that the court take into consideration the lowly conditions in which the accused had been brought up and their social status.

Passing the sentence, the Court said that the murder of Binulal was cruel and had caused panic in society. But at the same time, the intention of the accused was robbery and not murder. Hence, the case did not fall in the rarest of the rare category which empowered the court to give the accused the maximum penalty of a death sentence.

``It cannot be said that a sentence for life imprisonment is inadequate for the offence committed,'' the court pointed out. The Sessions Judge, Mr. Nambiar, maintained that all the sentences could run concurrently. The case was investigated by the then Circle Inspector (Pettah), Mr. Christopher Charles Raj, who is at present, Dy.SP (Vigilance).

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