KOLLAM: The Kollam Fast Track Sessions Court–III has acquitted the five accused in the case of attempt to murder PDP leader Abdul Nazar Madhani.
The court acquitted the accused under Section 232 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), as the prosecution failed to produce incriminating evidence against them. As many as six of the prosecution witnesses had turned hostile during the examination. Following this, the prosecution was forced to depend only on circumstantial evidence. The court found that there was no point in continuing the case.
The first to fourth accused Jayanadhan Pillai, Ajayakumar (both hailing from Mynagappally), Ramachandran (Kollam), Balachandran (Kottiyam), and the sixth accused Chandra Babu (Panayam, Kundara), were acquitted in the case. A total of eight accused were in the case. Two of the accused, Krishnakumar (fifth) and Shajikumar (seventh) are absconding. The eighth accused Suresh is no more.
Madhani lost his leg in a bomb attack on the night of August 6, 1992, near Anwarsseri, while he was arriving there with two others. There were a total of 64 witnesses in the case of whom 37 were examined. The then Kottarakkara Magistrate Haridas and Madhani were among the witnesses.
When the Fast Track Court began the trial in June this year, Madhani appeared before the court and made a request for giving pardon to the accused. However, Judge V.Vasan ordered to proceed the case pointing out that it was a case of non-compoundable charges, as attempt to murder, conspiracy under the IPC and sections of Explosive Substances Act were involved in the case.
In the judgment, the plea made by Madhani for giving pardon to the accused has also been pointed out. The examination of the witnesses were completed on December 2, 2009, and the case was posted to December 17, 2009, to record the statements of the accused.
Advocates P.Vijayaraghavan, K.Velayudhan Pillai and Prathapachandran appeared for the accused and Sycil J.Mundakkal was the Public Prosecutor in the case.