MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by the state challenging the acquittal of seven persons who were arrested for allegedly being involved in illegal arms training at Kodaikanal forest area in April 2008.
A bench of justices P Velmurugan and R Poornima observed that the prosecution has not satisfactorily proved the alleged involvement of the accused in any unlawful association.
“There is an unexplained delay in the registration and forwarding of FIR, which creates serious doubt regarding the genuineness of the prosecution case. Some of the explosives were allegedly kept in a private go-down; however, the same were not sent for chemical analysis for the reason, best known to the investigating agency,” they observed and refused to interfere with the trial court’s order.
Upon receiving specific information that Maoists were undergoing arms training at Ezhamparai Moolaiyaru Stream situated at Vadakounchi from April 11, 2008, a team of Kodaikanal police conducted a search on April 19. After the exchange of fire, the Maoists fled.
Based on this incident, the police registered a case against seven persons — Surya alias Ranjith alias Sekar, Senthil alias Kannan alias Kumar alias Minnal, Kalidoss alias Sekar, Neelamegam alias Kathir alias Vinayak, Bhagatsingh alias Sugadev, Kaviya alias Reenajoys Mary alias Meenakshi, and Senpagavalli alias Sivasakthi — and arrested them.
However, they were acquitted by the Principal District Judge, Dindigul, on January 19, 2021, challenging which the state filed this appeal.