Kerala man sentenced for murdering son-in-law over dispute

A 64-year-old man in Kerala has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his son-in-law. The court also ordered him to pay ₹2.5 lakh to his daughter as compensation. The conviction came from the Thalassery Additional District Court on March 20, 2025. The man, K. Premarajan, was found guilty of stabbing 27-year-old K.K. Sandeep to death during a family dispute. This incident happened on May 14, 2017, near an old petrol pump in Thalassery. The court imposed a life sentence, along with a fine of ₹2 lakh and an additional 10-year term for attempted murder. If he does not pay the fine, he will face an extra 18 months in jail. The conflict between Premarajan and Sandeep stemmed from issues about Sandeep's finances and concerns regarding his child's health, who has cerebral palsy. Tensions flared when Sandeep refused to send his wife back to her parents’ home after a disagreement. The day before the murder, there was an argument between Premarajan's wife and Sandeep's family. On the morning of the incident, Premarajan confronted Sandeep and took him away from his house. He stabbed Sandeep with a knife he had bought a month earlier. Local residents tried to help and took Sandeep to the hospital, but he did not survive. Police later found the vehicle used by Premarajan at the crime scene. The prosecution presented evidence from 21 witnesses during the trial.