Kasaragod, Dec 28 (Reporter) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, Ernakulam on Saturday found 14 CPI(M) workers including former Uduma constituency MLA K V Kunhiraman and nine district functionaries guilty, in the controversial Periya twin murder case. On February 17, 2019, Youth Congress workers Sarath Lal (24) and Kripesh (21) of Kalliot near Periya were hacked to death, in an alleged attack by CPI(M) workers. CBI Special court judge Seshadrinathan convicted 14 persons out of the arrested 24 accused in the case and acquitted 10 persons, on Saturday. The court found accused number one to eight and 11 and 14, guilty of murder and conspiracy under section 302 and section 120 B of IPC. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on January 3. Four CPI(M) leaders including former Uduma MLA and CPI(M) district secretariat member K V Kunhiraman, former Uduma CPI(M) area secretary K Manikandan , former Pakkam CPI(M) local secretary Raghavan Veluthloy and K V Bhaskaran, CPI(M) local leader were found guilty of forcibly rescuing Saji George (murder accused number 2) from Bekal police custody. Meanwhile, all four were on bail, the court allowed them to remain free by executing a bond until January 3. The court convicted A Peethambaran former CPI(M) Periya local committee member), Saji C George, K M Suresh, K Anilkumar, Jijin, A Sreerag, A Ashwin, A Subheesh, A Surendran and Pradeep. The case was initially investigated by the local police and later by the District Crime Branch. The CBI took over the case after the parents of the victims approached Kerala High Court and the single bench approved it in September 2019 . Following this, the government filed an appeal before the Supreme Court , but dismissed the appeal on December 1,2019. The CBI sleuths filed a charge sheet on December 3, 2021 and the trial began in February 2023. The father of the victims, Sathya Narayan and Krishnan, said they welcomed the verdict, but also expressed grief for releasing the 10 persons arrested in the case. They also said they would file an appeal in this regard. CPI(M) district secretary M V Balakrishnan said they would also file an appeal for including the innocent CPI(M) workers in this case. Opposition leader V D Satheeshan has said " the LDF government had spent more than Rs one Crore for legally fighting against the verdict of handing over the Periya twin case to the CBI. Today's verdict has been considered as a setback to the CPI(M) for justifying the criminals involved in the case. He also demanded that the CPI(M) State Committee should remit the fund to the State Government...////...