# K. Lakshmana, I.P.S. v. C.B.I. and Anr.

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2011-0009](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2011-0009)

## Report card

By judgment dated 14 June 2011 in Criminal Appeal No. 2216 of 2010 with Criminal R.P. No. 734 of 2011, the Kerala High Court (Coram: Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan, S.S. Satheesachandran, JJ.) affirmed the conviction of the K. Lakshmana (Deputy Superintendent of Police).

- Register number: KL 12 CW 0003
- Case reference: Criminal Appeal No. 2216 of 2010 with Criminal R.P. No. 734 of 2011 / (2011) 06 KL CK 0012
- Court and date: Kerala High Court (Coram: Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan, S.S. Satheesachandran, JJ.), 14 June 2011
- Officer(s) at the material time: K. Lakshmana (Deputy Superintendent of Police)
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract): “The case of encounter death of a Thirunelli man is nothing but a false and invented story, to explain away his brutal annihilation while he was in custody.” (at para 55)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Conviction upheld. Sentence: imprisonment and fine.
- Present status of the proceedings: No further proceedings are recorded in the cited sources; the judgment is the concluded position shown.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/532248/k-lakshmana-ips-appellant-hash-cbi-and-another-respondent/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2011-0009)

**Record:** CW-2011-0009 (compiler id CWC-0550); case SWFAKEEN-011
**Title:** K. Lakshmana, I.P.S. v. C.B.I. and Anr.
**Court:** Kerala High Court; judges: Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan; S.S. Satheesachandran
**Case number / citation:** Criminal Appeal No. 2216 of 2010 with Criminal R.P. No. 734 of 2011 / (2011) 06 KL CK 0012
**Judgment:** 2011-06-14 (2011, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1970-02-18 (1970)
**Place:** Wayanad, Kerala (district at time: Kannur); city town: Thirunelli; police station or unit: Mananthawady Police Station (Crime 28/70); force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** fake encounter extrajudicial killing
**Outcome:** Conviction upheld (conviction_upheld)
**Sections:** IPC 302; IPC 34
**Officers (gated display forms):** K. Lakshmana (Deputy Superintendent of Police) (1 in record)
**Victims:** Thirunelli man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** mixed
**Sentence type:** mixed (mixed)

Naxalite leader a Thirunelli man was captured alive by a CRPF-police combing party at Thirunelli on 18 February 1970 and held in custody with hands tied, but instead of being produced, was shot dead by Constable at the command of DySP K. Lakshmana, who then lodged a false encounter complaint (Crime 28/70). The truth emerged only in 1998 when the shooter's confessional note surfaced, leading to a CBI case resting on CRPF Constable's testimony. The Special Judge (SPE/CBI) convicted Lakshmana under s.302/34 IPC with life plus Rs.10,000 fine and acquitted DIG (A3). The Kerala High Court held the encounter story false and invented, dismissed both the appeal and the victim's brother's revision for death enhancement, and affirmed the life sentence.

> The case of encounter death of a Thirunelli man is nothing but a false and invented story, to explain away his brutal annihilation while he was in custody.

**Sources (1):** [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/532248/k-lakshmana-ips-appellant-hash-cbi-and-another-respondent/)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** brutality
**admin subcategory:** fake_encounter_extrajudicial_killing
**allegations:** {'category': 'Other', 'primary': True, 'position': 'Material fact supported', 'position_explainer': 'Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.', 'official_finding_relation': 'supports allegation'}
**anonymised:** False
**court quote para:** 55
**display title redacted:** K. Lakshmana, I.P.S. v. C.B.I. and Anr.
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-19', 'scope': 'Round-8 full re-verification: published record re-checked against the judgment text (outcome, officers, quote, key facts) plus methodology-compliance pass', 'method': 'skills-guided adversarial re-verification of the published record against the judgment text (reverify/t1-*/adversarial-8.jsonl)', 'result': 'holds', 'corrections_applied': \[\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': None, 'action_type': 'Conviction', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Trial court (as recorded in the Kerala High Court judgment)', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The trial court convicted the accused police personnel, as recorded in the Kerala High Court judgment.', 'disposition': 'Conviction · Supports allegation', 'source': '(2011) 06 KL CK 0012', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}; {'date': '2011-06-14', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Kerala High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Kerala High Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the convictions of police personnel.', 'disposition': 'Conviction · Supports allegation (appellate affirmance; trial conviction separate card)', 'source': '(2011) 06 KL CK 0012', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/532248/k-lakshmana-ips-appellant-hash-cbi-and-another-respondent/', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** fake encounter extrajudicial killing
**tier:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**tier badge:** Externally reported
**tier history:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**verdict:** accept
**verdict note:** Kerala HC affirmed life term of DySP-turned-IPS officer for ordering 1970 custodial killing of a Thirunelli man
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Conviction upheld.

[Open CW-2011-0009](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2011-0009)