Palakkad double murder case: Convict Chenthamara gets death penalty
A court in Palakkad, Kerala, has sentenced a man named Chenthamara to death for the 2025 murder of a mother and her son. The judge classified the case as 'rarest of rare' and ordered state-funded compensation for the victims' orphaned daughters.
Why it matters
This ruling highlights the application of the 'rarest of rare' doctrine in the Indian judicial system regarding capital punishment and the state's role in victim compensation.
The Additional District and Sessions Court-IV, Palakkad, on Monday (July 20, 2026) sentenced Chenthamara, the lone convict in the Pothundy twin murder case in Kerala , to death by hanging, holding that the case fell under the “rarest of rare” category.
Judge Kenneth George also imposed a fine of ₹20 lakh, which the court directed to be paid to the orphaned daughters of the victims. As Chenthamara has no means to pay the amount, the court directed the State to provide the compensation.
The court had earlier found Chenthamara guilty of murdering Sudhakaran, 50, and his 75-year-old mother, Lakshmi, who were hacked to death at their house at Boyan Colony, Pothundy, near Nenmara, on January 27, 2025.
In its sentencing order, the court accepted the prosecution’s case that the murders were premeditated and that Chenthamara posed a continuing threat to society.
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