Pothundy twin murder case trial enters final phase

The trial in the sensational Pothundy twin murder case is being fast-tracked at the Additional District and Sessions Court-IV, Palakakd, with the case entering its final stage. The court has posted the final hearing of the accused Chenthamara on May 29, 2026 after completing the examination of witnesses.

The witness examination concluded after more than four months of trial proceedings, marking a major milestone in a case that had shocked Kerala.

The case pertains to the brutal killing of Sudhakaran and his mother Lakshmi at their house at Boyan Colony, Pothundy, near Nenmara, on January 27, 2025. According to the prosecution, Chenthamara hacked the mother and son to death with a machete, repeating the pattern of an earlier murder he had committed in 2019.

In the earlier case, Chenthamara was convicted for the murder of Sudhakaran’s wife Sajitha on August 31, 2019. Prosecutors said he suspected Sajitha and another neighbour of being responsible for his wife leaving him. On October 14, 2025, Additional District and Sessions Judge-IV Kenneth George found Chenthamara guilty of murder, destruction of evidence and house trespass in the Sajitha murder case, and subsequently sentenced him to double life imprisonment.

The twin murders were committed while Chenthamara was out on parole in the Sajitha murder case. The killings sparked widespread outrage and drew criticism against the police for allegedly failing to prevent the crime despite repeated concerns raised by the victims’ family.

After the killings, Chenthamara fled to the nearby hills. He was arrested the following day after an extensive search operation by the police.

With the witness examination now over, the trial has moved into its concluding phase, setting the stage for final arguments and judgment in one of Kerala’s most disturbing recent criminal cases.