Following protests by the family members of Sharath Lal and Kripesh, victims in the Periye twin murder case, over the parole granted to convicts in the case, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has sought an urgent report on the matter.
The Home Minister directed Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department B. Vishwanath Sinha to immediately examine the circumstances under which parole was granted to the accused and submit a detailed report at the earliest. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the report.
The parole order was issued during the final phase of the previous Left Democratic Front government’s tenure. The jail authorities clarified that although the parole order had been issued earlier, prisoners are generally not allowed to leave during the election period. According to officials, the order was implemented immediately after the election concluded.
At present, five convicts, including the first accused, have been released on parole in connection with the case relating to the murder of the two Youth Congress workers who were hacked to death at Kaliyod in Periye, Kasaragod, on February 17, 2019.
Those released include former CPI(M) Periye local committee member and first accused A. Peethambaran, fourth accused K. Anilkumar, fifth accused Gijin, seventh accused Ashwin and fifteenth accused A. Surendran alias Vishnu Sura. Peethambaran is out on parole for the third time, while the others have received parole for the second time.
Following the parole order, the five convicts were released from Kannur Central Jail on Wednesday. In total, 10 convicts lodged in the jail have been granted parole for 20 days. The remaining accused — second accused Saji C. George, third accused Rajesh, sixth accused Sreeraj, eighth accused Subeesh and tenth accused Ranjith — are expected to be released in the coming days.
The family members of the victims said they would meet the Chief Minister and the Home Minister to file a formal complaint against the mass parole granted to the convicts.
Sharath Lal’s father, Satyanarayan, told the media that the accused should be shifted to a high-security prison and demanded a further investigation to bring all those involved in the murder conspiracy to justice. He alleged that parole was granted hastily before the LDF government demitted office.
Mr. Satyanarayan further alleged that parole was granted in violation of all norms and accused the previous LDF government of supporting criminals.
He pointed out that while earlier parole conditions barred the accused from entering the jurisdiction of Bekal police station, no such restriction has been imposed this time.
Allegations have also emerged that the jail advisory committee recommended parole despite police reports warning of possible tension if the accused returned to their native area. In view of possible law and order issues, police security has been tightened in Kaliyod.
Published – May 21, 2026 07:51 pm IST
