Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 18 (Agencies) : The Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court has sentenced Nino Mathew, the first accused in the Attingal double murder case, to death. Calling it the 'rarest of the rare' case, the judge also sentenced his partner in crime, Anushanthi, to a double life sentence.

The accused, Anushanthi and her lover Nino Mathew, were both software engineers working with an IT company in the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. They were accused of killing Anushanthi's four-year-old daughter and her mother-in-law. They also attempted to murder her husband on April 16, 2014.

The Principal Sessions judge V. Shersy while delivering the verdict on Monday called Anushanthi an 'insult to motherhood'. The accused have also been asked to pay Rs 50 lakh as fine.

Anushanthi reportedly told the court that she did not conspire to kill her daughter, according to a Malayala Manorama report. She reportedly said, "Don't call me a mother who killed her own baby."

Nino Mathew and Anushanthi

Anushanthi and her husband Lijeesh

The prosecution had asked for a death sentence for both the accused.

On April 16, 2014, Nino Mathew reportedly killed Vijayamma (57) and Swastika (4) in their home. He was waiting for Lijeesh, Anushanthi's husband, and attacked him when he returned home. Lijeesh managed to escape and alert the neighbours.

An extra-marital affair between Nino and Anushanthi led to the gruesome murders. They wanted to eliminate them to lead a life together.

Public Prosecutor Vineet Kumar has told media that two accused were found guilty under Section 120B (conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 449 (criminal trespassing), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 380 (theft) of IPC and 67A of the IT Act.