In 2017, a shocking incident took place in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. A young man brutally murdered his parents, sister, and maternal aunt. In this case, the accused, Kedel Jinson Raja, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. The Additional Sessions Court-VI delivered the verdict on Tuesday, stating that the accused Kedel will have to spend the rest of his life in prison. Additionally, a fine of ₹15 lakh was imposed on him. The court ordered that this amount be given to Jose Sundaram, a relative of the victims. This incident occurred in April 2017. Within three days, four people were murdered.
Initially, the accused Kedel called his parents and sister into a room under the pretext of showing them a video game. When they entered the room, he attacked and killed all three with a sharp sword. His aunt, who lived on the lower floor of the same house, was unaware of what had happened. Later, the accused murdered her as well. After killing all four, Kedel set the house on fire to destroy the evidence and burn the bodies. However, he failed to control the fire. Panicked, he fled to Chennai. After watching the news on TV, he realized that the case had escalated. He then returned to Thiruvananthapuram, where he was caught by the police.
Initially, Kedel tried to pretend he was mentally ill, claiming he was conducting an experiment to separate the soul from the body. He said he wanted to witness how the soul leaves the body after death. However, investigations by police and doctors revealed he was faking and mentally sound.
It was also found that Kedel had returned to India after abandoning his studies abroad. He began to feel isolated at home and started harboring hatred toward his family. It came to light that he felt his parents did not allow him to live life on his own terms. He lacked the freedom to meet his friends and also disliked his father's lifestyle.
The Thiruvananthapuram murder case of 2017 stands as a chilling reminder of how deep-seated emotional and psychological turmoil, when left unaddressed, can lead to unimaginable violence. Kedel Jinson Raja's calculated and brutal actions against his own family shocked the nation. The court's decision to impose a life sentence and a substantial fine reflects the gravity of his crimes and the need for justice for the victims.