Court to pronounce sentence in Ambalamukku Vineetha murder case on April 24; prosecution seeks death penalty-OxBig News Network

The Thiruvananthapuram Additional District and Sessions Court VII will on April 24 pronounce the quantum of sentence to Kanyakumari native Rajendran, the convict in the brutal daylight murder of Vineetha, an employee of a plant nursery at Ambalamukku in February 2022.

Judge Prasun Mohan had, nearly two weeks ago, found Rajendran guilty of murder, robbery, trespass and destruction of evidence.

The court on Monday heard the final arguments from both the prosecution and the defence on the punishment.

Special Public Prosecutor M. Salahudeen, who described Rajendran as a hardened criminal, demanded death penalty for the accused. His actions, which led to four murders across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, were “inhumane and shockingly brutal,” the prosecution stated.

When asked by the court about any sense of regret, 40-year-old Rajendran responded that he felt none, claiming that he had done nothing wrong. He also requested leniency citing his responsibility to take care of his 70-year-old mother. The defence too pleaded for leniency, citing the convict’s age.

The court had earlier sought detailed reports on the convict after the prosecution argued that the case could be classified as “rarest of rare.”

These reports, including one from the District Collector, concluded that the convict poses a continued threat to society and exhibited minimal potential for reformation. In her submission, District Collector Anu Kumari stated that the “serial killer” would resort to killing innocent people if set free.

“Considering the extremely brutal, grotesque, diabolical murder involving multiple victims shocks the collective conscience of society. The State cannot grant that the accused would not indulge in similar offence in future, if he (is) set at large. He being a proved serial killer, is a menace to the society and his extermination is the only course of action to save innocent people from tragic end (sic),” the report reads.

District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) Thomson Jose characterised the accused as a serial killer with a dangerous mindset, taking pleasure in his crimes, particularly when victims were left fighting for their lives after suffering fatal neck injuries.

The Superintendent of the Palayamkottai Central Prison in Tirunelveli, where Rajendran was remanded in connection with a triple murder case in 2015, has also submitted a report to the court. The accused allegedly murdered a customs officer, his wife and daughter, in an attempt to steal 95 gram of gold.

In his report, the Superintendent stated that the prisoner’s behaviour “could not be ascertained” since the prison officers, who served during Rajendran’s incarceration, are no longer posted at the prison.