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CPM worker, LDF candidate among two sentenced to 20 years for decade-old Payyannur bomb attack

KANNUR: Two CPM workers, including the LDF candidate at Mattammal division in Payyannur in the LSG election, have been sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined Rs 2.5 lakh each after being found guilty in a decade-old bomb attack case. Nandakumar T C V, and V K Nishad, both 35 years old, were convicted for hurling a bomb at a police team near Madathumpadi Junction road in Payyanur in August 2012. The Taliparamba Additional Sessions Court pronounced the sentence following their conviction on Monday. The attack was carried out on August 1, 2012, in protest against the arrest of then CPM Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan in connection with the murder of Aryil Shukoor. The police officers were returning after verifying reports that Youth Congress worker Rupesh was being assaulted during the protest. As the officers were going to the spot, four people arrived on two bikes, with Nishad and Nandakumar riding on one of them, and hurled a steel bomb at the back of a police jeep. Fortunately, the bomb did not explode, and it was safely defused later. The police had, meanwhile, found the bomb to be a locally-made steel device. Though Midhun A, 38, and Kripesh K V, 36, the other accused in the case, were arrested, they were acquitted as the police failed to prove their identity in court, said public prosecutor Adv U Rameshan. Additional Sessions Judge K N Prashanth has now awarded the accused duo five years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for attempted murder under Section 307 of the IPC, another five years and a fine of `50,000 for possessing explosives under Section 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, and 10 years along with a Rs 1 lakh fine for attempting to cause an explosion under Section 4 (a) and (b) of the Explosive Substances Act. Since the sentences will run concurrently, both will effectively serve only 10 years in prison. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to serve an additional three years in prison. According to Adv Rameshan, the duo would have faced a life sentence had the bomb detonated. Meanwhile, the development will likely affect the candidacy of Nishad, the councillor of the Karamel West ward of Payyanur municipality, who was in the fray as the LDF candidate from Mattammal division (No. 46) of Payyanur municipality. Under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Nishad will automatically be disqualified if he wins the election as the law bars anyone convicted of an offence and sentenced to a minimum of two years imprisonment from holding elected office. According to Adv Rameshan, if the High Court suspends the sentence, Nishad will be able to continue as a councillor if he wins the election.