BMS activist Vinu Murder case: Sessions court issues non-bailable arrest warrant against 3 accused

Kasaragod: The District Sessions Court here has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against CPM activist and former Kumble Gram Panchayat member S Kogglu and 2 others in the murder case of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) activist Vinu in 1998.

A notice has been issued for producing the accused in the case — Balan alias Soda Balan (62), S Kogglu (56), and Mohammed Kunhi (55) —  before the court within 4 weeks. Another accused V Balakrishnan has passed away. The court fixed June 14 as the next day of hearing in the case.

Vinu(19), a BMS activist was killed on October 9, 1998, after an argument outside a movie theatre in Kumble. The accused were arrested and, after a lengthy trial, were held guilty by the District Sessions Court. Kogglu was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment by the court. However, Kogglu had challenged the conviction in the Kerala High Court.

In December last year, the Kerala High Court had upheld the conviction of the accused by the Sessions court but had reduced the sentence to 4 years imprisonment. Based on the conviction, State Election Commission had temporarily banned Kogglu, a CPM member, from contesting local elections from March 30.

The accused had later approached the Supreme Court pleading to be exonerated in the case.