Trending News

A court in Kerala's Alappuzha sentences key accused Prabeesh to death in Anitha murder case of 2021

ALAPPUZHA: The Alappuzha Additional Sessions CourtIII on Monday awarded death penalty to the first accused in the Anitha murder case that took place in Kainakari. Prabeesh (37), of Pookodan House, Nilambur, was sentenced to death for the murder of Anitha (32), of Thekkemadam House, Punnapra South panchayat. Rajani (38), of Pathissery House, Thottuvathala, Kainakari, is the second accused in the case. A close friend of Prabeesh, she is currently lodged in an Odisha jail in connection with an NDPS case. Judge M Shuhaib directed the prosecution to produce her in court on November 29 on the basis of a production warrant, after which the quantum of punishment to Rajani will be pronounced. According to the prosecution, Prabeesh strangled Anitha to death while engaging in sexual intercourse, with the intent of removing her from his life so he could continue living with Rajani. A driver by profession, Prabeesh had been cohabiting with Rajani. The murder was allegedly executed at Rajanis house on July 7, 2021. Prosecution reports state that Anitha became unconscious after being strangled. Believing she had died, the accused transported her body in a country boat to Pallathuruthy and dumped it in the canal near the Arayanthodu bridge. Local residents discovered the body the next evening. Initially registered as a case of unnatural death, the woman remained unidentified until Anithas brother recognised the body the following day. A postmortem examination revealed injuries to the throat and damage to the thyroid gland, raising suspicion among doctors, who alerted the police. An analysis of Anithas mobile phone data showed that the last call came from Prabeesh. Further investigation traced his phone location to Kainakari, and records indicated online transactions made using the device. Police later arrested both Prabeesh and Rajani, who reportedly confessed to the crime. Anitha, who was married and the mother of two children, had separated from her husband Aneesh and was living with Prabeesh at Rajanis house. She became pregnant, and attempts by the accused to terminate the pregnancy allegedly failed. This led to escalating conflict, ultimately resulting in the murder, according to the prosecution. The prosecution further stated that after Anitha fell unconscious, the accused placed her body in a fibre boat, intending to abandon it in the middle of the lake. However, the boat capsized, and the body drifted away before washing ashore at Arayanthodu bridge. The court examined 82 witnesses out of a total of 112, and reviewed 131 documents, including the fibre boat used in the crime. The investigation was led by Nedumudi SHO A V Biju, while government pleader N B Shari represented the prosecution.