Ranjith Sreenivas Murder: 10th Accused Sentenced to Death

Quick Summary:

• The Mavelikara Additional District Sessions Court-I sentenced Navas, one of the accused in BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivas’ murder case, to death on Friday.
• Navas, 52, a native of Alappuzha municipality, was pronounced guilty earlier but sentencing was delayed due to his medical treatment. He was produced via video conferencing for the hearing.
• Ranjith sreenivas, a lawyer and State Secretary of BJP’s OBC front, was brutally murdered at his home on December 19, 2021. The act occurred in front of his family members.
• Investigators cited the murder as an alleged retaliatory strike by Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) members following the killing of SDPI state secretary K.S. Shan by RSS activists a night earlier.
• All 15 convicted individuals belonged to PFI and SDPI; 14 had already been awarded death sentences earlier this year by the same court.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

This case highlights persistent issues around political violence in India. While justice appears to be delivered through stringent judgments such as these death penalties,it shines a stark light on deeper issues like communal polarization and retaliatory killings fueled by political or ideological rivalries. Such events underscore how inter-party conflicts occasionally escalate to extreme levels with tragic outcomes for individuals involved.The quick resolution during trial reflects an intent by authorities to deter future crimes stemming from similar motives.However, addressing root causes-such as deepening communal divides and fostering robust conflict resolution mechanisms within civil society-remains crucial for long-term societal harmony in regions where politicized violence often takes center stage.

read more: Published – July 25, 2025