KOCHI: The prosecution on Friday filed a petition before the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court seeking to add one more charge against the accused in the 2018 SFI leader Abhimanyu murder case.
The prosecution sought to invoke Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code (voluntarily causing hurt) against the accused. Following the submission, the court posted the case to July 28 for further hearing.
The court was expected to announce the date for commencement of the trial on Friday. However, as the prosecution moved the application seeking to add a fresh charge, the matter was adjourned to July 28. Senior lawyers said that if the court allows the application, the revised charges incorporating the additional section will have to be read out afresh to the accused before the trial can begin. The court is also expected to fix the trial schedule on July 28.
Earlier, the sessions court had framed charges against 16 accused on July 6, and all of them pleaded not guilty.