Kochi, Jan 3 (IANS): A CBI court here on Friday sentenced 10 CPI-M workers to a double life term and four others including a former party legislator to five years’ imprisonment in the Periya twin murder case.

On Saturday last, the CBI court had convicted 14 people and exonerated 10 in the case pertaining to the brutal murders of Kerala Youth Congress workers Kripesh (19) and P.K. Sarath Lal (24) on February 17, 2019, in Periya, Kasaragod district.

However, the families of the victims said they were expecting capital punishment for the accused and since that has not been given and 10 others were exonerated, they will speak with the Congress leadership and appeal against the verdict.

The victims were allegedly killed by CPI-M workers in a politically-motivated attack.

According to the court, eight of the accused were directly involved in the twin murders, while six others played indirect roles.

The court gave a double life term to the eight who were directly involved in the cold blooded murder, while two others, who were part of the conspiracy, were also given a double life term.

Among the convicted is former MLA and CPI-M district leader K.V. Kunhiraman, accused of forcibly removing the second accused from police custody. Kunhiraman has been given five years’ imprisonment.

Initially investigated by the Crime Branch, the case was handed over to the CBI after a plea was filed by the victims’ families in the High Court.

The CBI concluded that the murders stemmed from a cycle of politically-motivated attacks between CPI-M and Congress workers in the region.

At Periya in Kasargod there was a huge gathering of Congress party workers and family members of the two victims at their memorial site. After hearing the verdict, some of the women of the two workers’ families were seen in tears.

Leader of Opposition, V.D. Satheesan while talking about the verdict said it was notable that among the accused are a former CPI-M legislator and workers.

“All along, the CPI-M leadership and party denied their leader’s and party workers’ role in the brutal crime. Now see, they have been sentenced. This is the way the CPI-M works,” said Satheesan.

K.K. Rema, an independent legislator who won with the Congress-led UDF’s support, whose husband, T.P. Chandrasekharan, was also murdered by CPI-M workers, criticised the party’s attempts to protect the accused.

“Just look at the way the CPI-M employed high priced lawyers from Delhi to fight the case and more than Rs 1 crore have been spent to save the guilty,” said Rema.

AICC general secretary and Alappuzha Congress Lok Sabha member, K.C. Venugopal, said the verdict brings out the real face of the CPI-M as they engage in annihilating political opponents.

The counsel for the accused said once the papers of the verdict come, they will file an appeal against it.

The 10 accused, who have been sentenced to the double life term, will each have to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh, while the remaining four have to pay a fine of Rs 10,000, and all of this will go to the families of the two victims.