Fourteen Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)/Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists accused of plotting and murdering Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) leader Faisal in Thrissur in 2013 were recently acquitted by a Thrissur court.
Additional Sessions Judge K. Kamanees acquitted all the accused in the case after finding that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused were involved in the conspiracy and assault that led to the death of the DYFI leader.
Serious contradictions
The court found that the statements of all the main witnesses lacked clarity and coherence. Many of the contradictions were of a serious nature and undermined the core of the prosecution’s case, the court said. Various witnesses gave conflicting accounts of the iron pipe believed to be the weapon used by the defendant, the judge noted.
The court found that all the main witnesses were members of a certain political organization which is at war with the organization to which the accused persons belonged. Political leaning is not in itself a reason to distrust a witness. However, all the main witnesses wanted not to reveal their political leanings. However, they gradually admitted their political involvement to the pressure of the defense. Many of the main witnesses are close relatives of the organization’s local committee secretary. The court must be alert to these aspects and act prudently, the court ruled.
Published – 02 Feb 2026 20:41 IST