Accused in Manorama murder gets life term
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vanchiyoor court on Saturday sentenced Adam Ali, a native of Bengal, to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 90,000 in the Keshavadasapuram Manorama murder case. The court found that he strangled 70-year-old Manorama and dumped her body in a well near her house in 2022. The verdict came after dramatic scenes in the courtroom earlier in the day. Moments after he was pronounced guilty, Adam Ali ran out of the courtroom. Lawyers and police officers chased him and caught him outside the court premises. The escape attempt occurred just before the court was to begin hearing arguments on sentencing at 2 pm. As per the investigation, Adam had been working as a domestic help at the neighbouring house and often visited Manoramas home to drink water. Familiar with him, she would let him in without suspicion. The police said he strangled her, stole her jewellery and carried the body out of the house. CCTV footage proved decisive in the probe. The visuals showed him carrying the body to an adjacent plot, dragging it to the edge of a well, tying stones to the legs and pushing it in to hide the crime. This footage led the police to confirm the murder. Then 21 years old, he had boarded a train out of the state but was intercepted by the Chennai RPF, who handed him over to the Kerala Police. The investigation was led by then Medical College Police Station SHO Harilal.