TALIPARAMBA Taliparamba: Two people, including an LDF candidate, have been sentenced to 20 years in prison and a fine for throwing a bomb at a police vehicle in Payyannur. Additional Sessions Court Judge K.N. Prashanth delivered the verdict. Those found guilty include V.K. Nishad (35), LDF candidate for the 46th ward of Payyannur Municipality, a sitting councilor, and DYFI block secretary from Carmel; and T.C. Vinod Kumar (35), a DYFI leader and a cooperative bank employee from Vellore. The wealthy man woke his brother from sleep, killed him, and later surrendered at the police station.
The court acquitted two other accused, A. Mithun and K.V. Kripesh. The incident occurred on August 1, 2012. The attack occurred in Payyannur town in protest of the arrest of then-CPM district secretary P. Jayarajan in connection with the Ariyal Shukkur murder case. According to the prosecution, Nishad and three others arrived on a bike while police were patrolling. When police chased them, they allegedly threw a bomb at the police vehicle carrying then-Payyannur SI K.P. Ramakrishnan and his team. They then fled the scene. Police identified Nishad, then an SFI leader, as the one who threw the bomb. The bomb did not explode, averting a major tragedy. The accused were charged with attempted murder, possession of explosives, and use of explosives.
