Nanthancode mass murder verdict: Cadell Raja found guilty after 65 days of trial
Cadell Jeansen Raja, the sole accused in the infamous Nanthancode mass murder case in Thiruvananthapuram, has been found guilty. The verdict was delivered by the Sixth Additional Sessions Court on Monday.
Cadell was convicted of brutally murdering his parents, sister, and aunt at their residence in Baines Compound, Nanthancode. The victims were identified as retired Professor Raj Thangam (60), his wife, retired RMO Dr. Jean Padma (58), their daughter Karoline (25), and Dr. Padma’s relative Lalitha (70).
The court pronounced the verdict after 65 days of trial. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Charges proven against Cadell include murder, destruction of evidence, inflicting injury with a deadly weapon, unlawful confinement, and destruction of property.
Cadell had initially claimed that the murders were part of an experiment in astral projection—a parapsychological concept involving out-of-body experiences. However, police dismissed these claims and concluded that the killings were premeditated and driven by personal grievances.
'Rehearsed the killings with dummies'
The prosecution presented compelling evidence, including claims that Cadell had created dummies of his parents and rehearsed the killings days before the crime. Investigators also found that he had watched instructional videos on digital platforms to learn how to slit throats using an axe. The prosecution also presented forensic evidence, including blood traces, burn injuries, and medical reports.
Following the murders, Cadell burnt the bodies of his victims and went into hiding. He was later arrested from a hotel in Chennai, with 31 burn injuries on his body. The case became a high-profile one in Kerala not only for its brutality but also due to its proximity to Cliff House, the official residence of the Kerala Chief Minister, and the convict’s claims of occult motivations.
Cadell’s legal team argued that he was suffering from schizophrenia—a chronic mental disorder that affects thinking, behaviour, and perception. However, the prosecution strongly refuted the claim, asserting that the murders were cold-blooded and meticulously planned, which contradicted the profile of a person with severe schizophrenia.
A crucial witness, Dr. Mohan Roy, a former assistant professor of psychiatry at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, testified that Cadell exhibited no signs of mental illness at the time of the crime. Roy also testified that a person suffering from schizophrenia could not have carried out such an organised and calculated act.
The expert pointed to Cadell’s practice on dummies, his methodical online research, and his strategic disposal of evidence as signs of deliberate planning. While the schizophrenia plea was a central element of the defence, it ultimately failed to influence the court’s judgement.
India