KOCHI: The blood-stained handkerchief that had gone missing from the custody of the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court in the Mohammed Fasal murder case has been traced, ending weeks of uncertainty over a key piece of evidence in the ongoing trial before the Special CBI Court in Kochi.
On May 12, while considering a petition in the case, the special court had ordered that the blood-stained handkerchief and other material objects be produced. When the sealed cover allegedly containing the material object was produced, the evidence was not inside.
A note on the cover stated that the handkerchief had allegedly been taken away by rats. The CBI alleged that the disappearance of the evidence could have been a deliberate attempt to weaken the prosecution’s case and sought a thorough inquiry.
Following this, the court called for a detailed report from the CJM Court. The handkerchief has now been traced from the latter’s custody. According to the prosecution, the blood-stained handkerchief is an important piece of evidence supporting the alleged conspiracy behind the murder.