Attingal Twin Murder; death sentence for Nino Mathew, life for Anu Santhi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A trial court here has awarded death sentence to former techie Nino Mathew for the gruesome murders of three year old Swastika and 60 year old Omana of Alamcode near Attingal. The second accused in the case, Anu Santhi, who happened to be the mother and daughter-in-law respectively of the deceased, was awarded life sentences for conspiracy and murder.

Nino Mathew gets five years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh penalty for criminal trespass, life sentence and Rs 1 lakh for criminal conspiracy, one year and Rs 50,000 for destruction of evidence, three years and Rs 1 lakh for theft, capital punishment and Rs 50 lakh for murder, 10 years and Rs 5 lakh for attempt to murder and four years imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine for transmitting obscene content in digital form.

Anu Santhi, who was also found guilty of the same charges, was awarded same sentence except for the charge of murder. As she was not directly involved in the crime, she was awarded life sentence.

Reading out the order, Principal Sessions Judge V Shircy held that the crimes committed by the two accused were heinous and beyond any comparison. They conspired together and carried out the crimes in order to gratify their lust.

Describing Nino Mathew's actions, the judge held that the crime was committed in the most brutal way. One of his victims, Swastika, was younger than his own daughter. Omana too was a hapless victim, who had 14 cuts on her body. Her brain was also smashed after being bludgeoned using a baseball bat.

About Anu Santhi, the judge held that she was a shame to motherhood. However, she was saved from extreme punishment as she was a woman and represented the weaker section.

The judge also held that from the total amount compounded as penalty, Rs 50 lakh would go to Anu Santhi's husband and Swastika's father Lijeesh and Rs 30 lakh would go to his father and Omana's husband Thankappan Chettiyar.

The case pertained to the murder of Swastika and Omana and an attempt to murder on Lijeesh at their house at Alamcode on April 16, 2014. The prosecution case was that the two accused, who shared an extramarital relationship, hatched a plan to terminate the family members of Lijeesh, so that they could live together.