Kerala : 20 Muslim accused acquitted in the murder case of ABVP worker Vishal Kumar

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) – On 30 December, the Additional Sessions Court at Mavelikkara delivered its verdict in the high-profile murder case of Vishal Kumar from 2012. All 20 accused belonging to the radical Muslim student organisation ‘Campus Front of India’ were acquitted. While delivering the judgment, Judge P P Pooja observed that the government had completely failed to prove the charges. The Kerala government has stated that it will challenge this verdict in the High Court. (Does this stance of the Kerala government amount to merely paying lip service to Hindus ? – Editor)

This verdict has caused deep anguish to the victim’s family. From the very day of the murder, serious lapses were reported in the investigation. The police failed to properly record the initial statements. Legal procedures were not completed in time. Witness statements did not corroborate each other. There were also major errors in identification and seizure of weapons, according to discussions surrounding the case.

Incident from July 2012

The incident dates back to July 2012. Nineteen-year-old Vishal Kumar was a first-year science degree student at N S S College in Konni. He was also an active worker of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). On the morning of 16 July, he had gone to a Christian college to welcome new students. There, a violent clash broke out between activists of ABVP and the student wing of ‘Campus Front of India’, an extremist Islamic organisation linked to the banned ‘Popular Front of India’. Knives and other weapons were used during the clash. Vishal Kumar, who tried to calm the situation, was himself attacked with a knife. He was admitted to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of the following day. He was killed in front of hundreds of students.

Editorial Perspective

If the police of the Leftist Kerala government, known for its appeasement of Muslims, proves ineffective in such cases, what is there to be surprised about ?