The attack took place on August 1, 2012 during Statewide protests following the arrest of the then CPI(M) Kannur district secretary P. Jayarajan in the Ariyil Shukoor murder case.Â
Two Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers, including a Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] candidate in the 2025 Payyanur civic polls, were sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday (November 25, 2025) in the 2012 case involving a bomb attack on a police vehicle at Payyanur in Kannur, Kerala.
Taliparamba Additional District Sessions Judge K.N. Prashanth awarded imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of ₹2.5 lakh each to convicts V.K. Nishad and T.C.V. Nandakumar. They will effectively serve 10 years in jail.
Co-accused A. Mithun and K.V. Kripesh were acquitted earlier after the charges against them were found unsustainable.
The attack took place on August 1, 2012 during Statewide protests following the arrest of the then CPI(M) district secretary P. Jayarajan in the Ariyil Shukoor murder case.
According to the prosecution, the police team – comprising Sub-Inspector K.P. Ramakrishnan, Additional SI K. Kuttiyambu, CPO Pramod, driver Nanukuttan and KAP officers Anoop and Jackson – was returning after verifying a report that Youth Congress leader R. Rupesh had been assaulted near an auditorium when the accused, then SFI leaders, arrived on two motorbikes and hurled a bomb at their vehicle.
Nishad, the first accused, is the LDF candidate from the Vellur-Mottammal ward (46 ward) of Payyanur municipality in the 2025 local body elections in Kerala. He is a DYFI district committee member and Payyanur block secretary.
Nandakumar from Vellur is the second accused.
Both were convicted under charges including attempt to murder and offences related to handling explosives.
Published – November 25, 2025 12:45 pm IST
