Security boosted for judge in Ranjith Sreenivasan murder case after sentencing 15 to death

Judge VG Sreedevi of the Mavelikkara Additional District Sessions Court-1 witnessed an escalation in perceived threats through social media shortly after pronouncing the quantum of punishment. In response, Kerala police have increased security measures to ensure her safety.

| Updated: 01 February, 2024 4:41 pm IST

Security intensified for the judge who awarded death penalty to 15 SDPI-PFI activists

ALAPPUZHA: In the aftermath of the death sentences handed down to 15 Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI)-Popular Front of India (PFI) activists involved in the high-profile murder case of BJP OBC Morcha leader Ranjith Sreenivasan, the district sessions court judge who delivered the verdict is now under heightened security due to cyber threats.

Judge VG Sreedevi of the Mavelikkara Additional District Sessions Court-1 witnessed an escalation in perceived threats through social media shortly after pronouncing the quantum of punishment. In response, Kerala police have increased security measures to ensure her safety.

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A Facebook post from an account named ‘Rubeena Rubi’ alleged the judge’s association with RSS and accused her of being a Hindu right-wing extremist. The post claimed her role was to siphon money from the public exchequer based on orders received from RSS headquarters. Such social media threats have led to concerns about the judge’s safety.

In addition to threats from fake accounts, the judge has faced veiled attacks using derogatory language. A six-member security team, led by a sub-inspector, has been assigned to ensure her personal safety. A senior police officer from the DGP office stated that continuous threats through social media prompted the decision to enhance security.

Judge Sreedevi categorised the case as the ‘rarest of rare,’ leading to the imposition of capital punishment on Naisam, Ajmal, Anoop, Mohammed Aslam, Abdul Kalam, Saffarudheen, Manshad, Jaseeb Raja, Navas, Sameer, Nazir, Zakir Hussain, Shaji, and Shernas Ashraf.

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During the announcement of the verdict, nearly 500 to 700 SDPI activists gathered outside the court premises. Security measures were fortified in the entire area anticipating potential violent reactions from SDPI cadres in response to the order.

Ranjith Sreenivasan, a practicing advocate at the Alappuzha Bar Association and the state secretary of BJP’s OBC Morcha, was the party’s candidate for the Alappuzha Assembly constituency in 2021.

The brutal incident occurred on December 19, 2021, when PFI members forcibly entered Sreenivasan’s residence in Alappuzha, hacking him to death in the presence of his wife and mother.