KOCHI: The trial in the sensational ‘Malankara’ Varghese murder case has taken an interesting turn as one of the prime witnesses has sought police protection fearing a threat to his life. Vijeesh M N sought police protection after two witnesses turned hostile during the trial which began on November 26, 2021 after the CBI filed a chargesheet against 12 persons, including a senior priest ,in connection with the murder of Varghese, a leader of Malankara Orthodox faction, after the opposite Church faction gave a quotation to a criminal gang.
Varghese, alias Malankara Varghese, was hacked to death by the gang outside a car workshop on MC Road near Perumbavoor on December 5, 2002. The case is that the gang was hired by a group of persons belonging to the Jacobite faction to finish off Varghese, a member of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church’s managing committee, as part of the continuing rivalry between the two Church factions.
Official sources said while three independent witnesses including a prime witness turned hostile, only Vijeesh of Vengola in Perumbavoor stood by his earlier statement. The CBI special court, hearing the case, accepted Vijeesh’s plea and directed the station house officer (SHO) of Perumbavoor to take all required steps to ensure the safety of the life and property of Vijeesh and his family members.
“Though no reliable materials are readily available to prove the apprehension aired by the petitioner, considering the nature of the case and the fact that three independent witnesses had turned hostile, one cannot rule out the possibility of a threat to the prosecution witnesses who have given evidence, from various sources. Therefore, it has become necessary to order police protection to the petitioner who gave evidence before this court today in support of the prosecution identifying some of the accused,” the court said.
The court also upheld the CBI’s petition seeking to summon the manager of a private telecom service operator to produce Section 65B certification as per the Indian Evidence Act regarding the call data records (CDRs) which were earlier collected from them by the investigating officer and already produced before the court as evidence by the prosecution. Issuing summons to the operator, the court said, “As far as electronic documents are concerned, to make it admissible, Section 65B certification is a mandatory requirement.”
20 years ago...
Varghese, alias Malankara Varghese, was hacked to death by the gang outside a car workshop on MC Road near Perumbavoor on December 5, 2002. The case is that the gang was hired by a group of persons belonging to the Jacobite faction to finish off Varghese, a member of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church’s managing committee, as part of the continuing rivalry between the two Church factions.