2021 BJP Leader Murder| Kerala High Court Grants 30-Day Interim Bail To Death Row Convict On Medical Grounds
The court said that a life or death convict undergoing a sentence in prison is entitled to humane treatment, noting that the petitioner was completely bedridden and dependent on other inmates.
Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V, Justice K.V. Jayakumar, Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has granted a 30-day interim medical bail to Navas, a death row convict sentenced to capital punishment for his involvement in the high-profile 2021 murder of BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan. In granting the relief, the court reaffirmed the vital constitutional principle that condemned prisoners do not lose their fundamental right to human dignity upon conviction.
The court further noted that an applicant’s right to physical and mental well-being must be respected despite the gravity of the capital punishment awarded. Highlighting the applicant's severely compromised health condition, wherein he remained completely bedridden and entirely dependent on the voluntary services of other prison inmates for his basic daily routine, the court found it just and equitable to temporarily suspend his sentence to facilitate medical care.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar referring to Inhuman Conditions in 1382 Prisons, In re (2019) 2 SCC 435, noted, “…the Apex Court observed that even a prisoner sentenced to death retains the right to human dignity under the Constitution”.
Advocate E.A. Haris appeared for the applicant.
The prosecution's case emerged from an alleged retaliatory political conspiracy between rival organizations PFI/SDPI, which culminated in the brutal murder of a BJP State Secretary at his residence.
The applicant, Navas, along with other co-accused, was alleged to have guarded the courtyard of the house to prevent the victim’s escape. Finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, and murder under the Indian Penal Code along with provisions of the Arms Act, the Additional Sessions Court-I, Mavelikara, awarded him capital punishment.
Aggrieved by the conviction and the death sentence, the applicant preferred a criminal appeal before the High Court. Pending disposal of the main appeal, the applicant filed the instant application seeking the suspension of his sentence and temporary release on bail, citing acute neurological illness and joint contractures that rendered him immobile.
The State vehemently opposed the application, arguing that the gravity of the offence and the capital punishment disqualified him from interim relief, asserting that jail authorities provided adequate treatment.
Examining the latest medical reports, the court noted that the applicant suffered from quadriparesis, cognitive impairment, and severe joint contractures following a complicated neurological disease course and brain surgery. The Bench reasoned that forcing a completely bedridden convict to rely solely on the voluntary care of fellow inmates for survival undermined constitutional standards of human dignity.
Consequently, the Court directed the temporary suspension of the sentence and granted interim bail to the applicant for a period of 30 days. This relief was made subject to the conditions that the applicant execute a bond for ₹1,00,000/- with two solvent sureties each for the like amount to the satisfaction of the Sessions Judge, refrain from committing any crimes while on bail, and surrender before the Superintendent of the Central Prison, Poojappura, on August 5, 2026, without fail.
Cause Title: Navas v. State of Kerala (Crl.M.Appl. No. 1/2025 in Crl.A. No. 1807/2025)
Appearances:
Applicant: E.A. Haris, M.A. Ahammad Saheer, Muhammed Yasil, and Aagi Johny, Advocates.
Respondent: Public Prosecutor along with the Additional Director General of Prosecution.