There were threats to kill me too. His family sent people away asking them not to testify against the accused. They were people related to relatives. These are the words of Anish’s wife Haritha who spoke to the media after the verdict in the Palakkadengurusi honor killing. Harita’s words are like this. ‘My family should not live anymore. How long will you live in fear?
Don’t we have to live? There is a lot of fear. If they come out, they will kill Enem and Anishetan’s family. Even though he made a mistake, she says that he did not make a mistake and leaves with a smile. We left saying that we will know what we did on Monday. “What has been going on for four years” – even after the verdict, the defendants had no excuse. Also, Anish’s family responded that they were not satisfied with the sentence in the Thenkurussi honor killing. A double life sentence or death sentence was expected. It didn’t happen. There is no conspiracy involved. The family added that they will appeal.
Haritha’s father, Kummani Prabhukumar from Thenkurissi, along with her brother-in-law K. Suresh Kumar, had married off Haritha and Aneesh. Aneesh was murdered on the 88th day after their marriage. Following the wedding, there had been ongoing disputes between Aneesh and Haritha’s family. While traveling with his brother on a bike, Aneesh was stopped at Mannamkulam and killed by Suresh and Prabhukumar, who stabbed him. The prosecution argued that the murder was driven by jealousy over Aneesh marrying Haritha.
Aneesh was the son of Radhakrishnan and Radha from Elamandam in Thenkurissi. The police arrested Prabhukumar (43) and Suresh (45), Haritha’s father and brother-in-law, respectively, and filed a charge sheet stating it was an honor killing. Initially investigated by the local police, the case was later taken over by the Crime Branch. The district Crime Branch submitted the charge sheet within 75 days. The charge sheet mentions it as an honor killing. In addition to murder charges, the accused have also been charged with conspiracy and destruction of evidence. The inquiry officer was DYSP C. Sundaran.
Advocate P. Anil represented the prosecution in the case. There were 110 witnesses. The prosecution presented various pieces of evidence, including two motorcycles and knives used by the accused. After the marriage, the accused had threatened Aneesh several times and attempted to assault him. Suresh Kumar also threatened Aneesh at his house. The charge sheet submitted by Crime Branch DYSP C. John includes charges of murder, conspiracy, destruction of evidence, and threats to kill. Aneesh was murdered by the accused, who arrived on a motorcycle, on December 25 around 6:30 p.m. at Thenkurissi Mannamkulam.
Aneesh’s family alleged that he had received threats previously and that the police had not taken any action despite receiving a complaint. Aneesh’s father, Arumukhan, stated that he had complained to the police about the threats against Aneesh, but no action was taken. Just as their love marriage was entering its third month, Haritha lost her husband, Aneesh. Her father, Prabhukumar, had threatened Aneesh, saying that a marriage certificate would only hold value for three months.
Aneesh’s mother and father also alleged that the accused attempted to lure Haritha back home by offering financial incentives. They stated that Prabhukumar’s father was the mastermind behind the attack. The family submitted phone conversations containing offers of money to the police. However, he has not been named as an accused in the case.
