Kozhikode: The SIM card used by K.K. Mohammad Shafi, a member of the squad that killed T.P. Chandrasekharan, was smuggled out of the jail through Jijesh Kumar, the 36th accused, who is currently on bail.
The SIM card of the phone used by Shafi in the jail was handed over to Jijesh after the media reported the mobile phone use. Police suspect that the SIM was handed over when the accused was produced in the trial court.
City Police Commissioner G. Sparjankumar heading the team investigating the mobile episode said that Jijesh Kumar had been absconding.
The police found that Jijesh smuggled out the SIM card following the number recorded at the tower locations of Chokli and Erumely, on way to Sabarimala.
Jijesh, a native of Chokli, had undertaken the Sabarimala pilgrimage recently, police said.
Jijesh had submitted an application in the trial court seeking exemption from appearance during hearing citing personal reasons.
The TPC murder accused lodged in the Kozhikode district jail were also found making telephone calls to their advocates as well as witnesses through mobile phones.
The probe team has gathered clues about the conversations, sources said. They had called five members of the defence counsel and four witnesses, including three who changed their earlier depositions in the court, sources said.
Several calls were made to the advocates while the four witnesses received only one call each, they added.
Meanwhile, north zone ADGP Shankar Reddy convened a meeting of the police team probing the case to review the progress of the investigation on Thursday.
Next: ‘No evidence against 13th accused in TPC case’
‘No evidence against 13th accused in TPC case’
Kozhikode: The prosecution in the TPC murder case has failed to provide an objective and scientific evidence against P.K. Kunhananthan, the 13th accused and CPM Panur area committee member, the defence counsel told the trial court at Erahnipalam on Thursday.
The depositions made by the witnesses produced by the prosecution against the accused are not believable, the defence counsel argued, said K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, advocate.
The witnesses have made statements with a political motive, he said while making the final arguments on behalf of the accused.
He said that the conspiracy mentioned in the chargesheet is a ‘script’ made by the probe team after arresting the accused.
Witnesses E. Babu and Valsan, who deposed against Kunhananthan, were BJP and RSS activists, he said.
