Thiruvananthapuram: A Thiruvananthapuram court sentenced two brothers to life imprisonment for the murder of a 42-year-old fisherman at Valiyathura. Additional sessions judge Sudhakanth R found Deepu alias Ajith and his brother Stellus guilty of murdering Johnson, of Valiyathura, and convicted them under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on the convicts. According to the prosecution, the incident took place on Jan 27, 2013. Johnson and the accused, all fishermen, were involved in a dispute after Johnson questioned the brothers for taking away fish he received as remuneration for helping retrieve a fishing net. The argument soon escalated into a violent confrontation. The prosecution told the court that the brothers left the scene, went to their house, returned armed with a knife and attacked Johnson. He sustained fatal stab injuries and died shortly after the assault. During the trial, the prosecution examined 21 witnesses and produced 11 material objects to establish the charges against the accused. Based on the oral and material evidence presented before it, the court found the brothers guilty of murder. Public prosecutor R Praveenkumar appeared for the prosecution and argued the case. The conviction brings to a close a criminal case that remained pending for more than 13 years. The judgement reaffirmed the prosecution’s contention that the murder stemmed from a dispute over fish received as payment for assisting in the retrieval of a fishing net.
