One of the nine convicts, Manoraj, is the brother of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s press secretary, P.M. Manoj.

In all, there were 12 accused when the trial of the case began. Two accused passed away during the trial, while one was acquitted on Friday (March 21).

The 11th accused in the case was given a three-year prison term. On Friday the same court found these nine members of the CPI(M) guilty in the murder case.

When the court found the nine guilty, the Kannur CPI(M) district secretary M.V. Jayarajan came out in public and said the party would stand with their cadres and would appeal against the verdict.

“The case was not probed properly as the police did not do a clean job... A few of the workers were later included as accused,” said Jayarajan.

The brutal murder took place on August 7, 2005, at Muzhappilangad, a Communist party-dominated village in Thalassery near Kannur.

The nine convicts nursed a grudge against Suraj, who had left the CPI(M) in 2004 due to a difference of opinion and joined the BJP. Suraj eked out a living by driving a three-wheeler.

One day a group of people got onto his autorickshaw under the guise of undertaking a trip, and soon after he was attacked from behind as he was driving the vehicle.

He survived the attack after being hospitalized for weeks and was bedridden for months.

Suraj was again attacked on the morning of August 7, 2005, by a gang of almost a dozen people.

Just before attacking him with knives and swords, the gang burst a country bomb to create terror in the area and make people run from the spot.

After ensuring that Suraj had died, they escaped from the spot.

It was only after the mother of the then 32-year-old Suraj approached the Kerala High Court that a special public prosecutor was appointed for the case.

“Justice is served to Suraj after 20 years, " said the lawyer who fought for Suraj's family.

Incidentally one of the accused in this murder case is T.K. Rejeesh, who is also an accused in the T.P. Chandrasekheran murder case.