Kattakkada Adisekhar murder case: Supreme Court suspends life sentence of convict Priyaranjan, grants bail

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has suspended the life sentence awarded to Priyaranjan, the convict in the murder of Class 10 student Adisekhar, who was deliberately run over by a car at Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram. The court also granted him bail. Priyaranjan had approached the Supreme Court challenging the life sentence imposed by the Sixth Additional Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram. The apex court granted bail after observing that there were flaws in the trial court's judgment. His appeal against the conviction is currently pending before the Kerala High Court.

The incident took place on August 30, 2023. CCTV footage from the Pulinkode Temple captured the shocking incident in which Adishankar was run over by a car. According to the police investigation, the murder was triggered by the boy's innocent question to the accused: "Uncle, is it right to urinate here?"

The incident took place while Adisekhar was returning home with his friends after playing at the Pulinkode Temple ground. After collecting his bicycle from a shed, he was about to get on it when an electric car slowed down behind him, suddenly accelerated and rammed into him before speeding away.

The police investigation concluded that Priyaranjan was a habitual drinker, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, and had planned the murder in advance. The case was initially registered as an accidental death. However, it was later converted into a murder case after the victim's family raised suspicions over the circumstances of Adisekhar's death.

In his bail plea, Priyaranjan claimed that the incident was an accident. He said he was talking to his wife, who works abroad, while driving and accidentally hit the bicycle. He also told the court that he was unfamiliar with the new electric car he was driving. After the incident, Priyaranjan fled to Tamil Nadu and was later arrested from Kanyakumari.