Thiruvananthapuram: The Supreme Court has declared life imprisonment for Antony, first accused in Aluva mass murder case. 

It was alleged that Antony killed six members of a family in Aluva on January 8, 2001. Six members of a family, including two children, were found brutally murdered in their house near the St Mary's High School, Aluva. 

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The deceased were Augustine, his wife Baby, children Jaimon, Divya, Augustine's mother Clara Thommi, and sister Kochurani.

Augustine was the owner of Manjooran's Hardware, Aluva. The murder came into the limelight when Baby's brother and another relative visited their home. They found the six members lying in a pool of blood.

In 2016 the Supreme Court had stayed the death sentence awarded to Antony. The stay order was issued by a bench chaired by Justice Dipak Mishra while considering the review plea submitted by Antony.

The President Pranab Mukherjee on April 27, 2015, had rejected the mercy petition submitted by Antony. The plea presented in 2010 was rejected after five years. 

According to 2001 reports, clothes kept in one of the cupboards and things kept in a drawer were strewn around in the room, which point to the possibility that the killers were on the lookout for something specific. 

 None of the ornaments worn by the victims had been stolen. It is reported that Antony had murdered the family due to a financial dispute. Earlier, the police said some dispute relating to land could have led to this murder.