Youth Congress leader gets life term for murder of senior party colleague

Six persons, including a former Youth Congress leader, were convicted for life term by the district sessions court in Thrissur in a case pertaining to the murder of a Congress leader out of group rivalry in the party.

According to the prosecution, Eacharathu Madhu, a local Congress leader in Thrissur, was hacked to death on June 1, 2013, as an outcome of rivalry among Congress leaders. The first accused in the case was Premji Kollannur, who had been also a local Congress leader in Thrissur.

Three months before Madhu was killed, Kollannur’s elder brother Lalji, who had been the district convener of Congress minority cell, was also murdered. Both murders were executed by gangs, hired by rival leaders.

The prosecution had found that Madhu and Kollannur had fallen apart over the elections to Youth Congress held in April, 2013. After the elections to various Youth Congress bodies were held, Kollannur’s house was attacked by a gang, allegedly with the support of Madhu. This rivalry led to the murder of Madhu. He was hacked to death on the premises of a temple in Thrissur, where he had gone for offering prayers along with his wife.

Police had found that another convicted Plakkal Martin had been a witness in a murder case in which Madhu was involved then eight years back. Madhu had threatened Martin not depose against him in the court.

Source:: Indian Express