Kerala's Muthanga police firing case ends after 23 years, 35 acquitted, 21 convicted

The 2003 police operation in Kerala's Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, aimed at evicting hundreds of tribal families, resulted in the deaths of police constable KV Vinod and tribal protestor Jogi. The incident sparked a lengthy legal battle that lasted over two decades.

On 31 July, the Wayanad District Principal Sessions Court, presided over by Judge A. Ayub Khan, delivered its verdict. The court acquitted 35 accused, finding the prosecution unable to prove murder or conspiracy charges. Twenty‑one defendants were convicted on offences related to rioting, illegal assembly and encroachment of forest land. The murder charge could not be substantiated, and the primary alleged murderer, Ashokan, died during the trial, so no sentence was imposed for that count. The convictions pertain only to violence‑related offences.

While the court’s decision closes the criminal case concerning Vinod’s death, tribal organisations continue to demand accountability for the broader violence and the forced displacement that followed the 2003 operation.