Muthanga land agitation court convicts four, acquits 53 in 2003 police constable Vinod murder

After more than 23 years, the Kalpetta Principal Sessions Court delivered its verdict on July 31, 2026 in the murder case of police constable K. V. Vinod, who was killed during the police operation to evict Adivasi families from the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary on February 19, 2003.

The court found tribal leader Geethanandan and three others—Binu, Rameshan Koyyalipur, and Anil Kumar—guilty of murder. All other 53 accused were acquitted because the prosecution could not prove a conspiracy or secure sufficient evidence. The judgment concludes the longest‑pending criminal trial stemming from the 2003 Muthanga land agitation, though tribal activist C. K. Janu and families of the dead protester Jogi continue to call for further accountability.

The verdict provides legal closure for Vinod’s family, while highlighting lingering grievances over the unresolved death of Jogi, whose case was never investigated.