Confirms life sentence for two accused
Kerala High Court
KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday acquitted 12 persons accused of killing Thekkethodi Aboobacker at Marad, a coastal village in Kozhikode, in January 2002, a day after the first Marad riot between two communities.
The court upheld the life imprisonment awarded to Thekkethodi Shaji and Eshwarandepurayil Sasi by the Special Additional District Sessions Court.
The 12 were acquitted giving them the benefit of doubt. Mr P. Vijayabhanu, counsel for the petitioners, cited several loopholes in the prosecution case, including the possibility of wrong implication of the persons.
The failure to identify the accused properly in the court was cited in this regard. The medical report remained silent about the signs of repeated hacking on the body of the victim as claimed by witnesses, it was pointed out.
The acquitted are Kelappandakathu Sajeevan, Thekkethodi Vijeesh, Vibeesh, Choichendakathu Ranjith, Avalapurayil Prahaladan, Kelappandakathu Rajesh, Arayachendakathu Manikandan, Thekkethodi Suresh, Cheriyapurayil Vinod, Thekkethodi Vijith, Thekkethodi Sreedharan and Choichendakathu Kaleesh alias Krishnakumar.
The killing of Aboobacker was part of what is known as the first Marad riots in which a total of five persons were killed in communal clashes on January 3 and 4 in 2002.
The killing of Aboobacker triggered another round of violence one year later when eight persons were killed at the place in May 2003.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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