The Special Additional District and Sessions Court (Marad cases) will hear the bail plea moved by P Mohanan, CPM Kozhikode district Secretariat member and 14th accused in the T P Chandrasekharan murder case on May 10.
The prosecution in the case opposed granting him bail citing that it would affect the ongoing trial proceedings as he has political influence. However, Special Judge R Narayana Pisharadi, who considered the bail plea on Saturday, posted the hearing. Special Public Prosecutor C K Sreedharan argued that if Mohanan would be granted bail, it would affect the ongoing trial proceedings of the case as he has political influence.
The prosecution also argued that granting him bail would lead to a situation that more witnesses will turn hostile. So far, 49 witnesses have turned hostile in the case. His bail petitions had been dismissed by the High Court of Kerala on four occasions and the Supreme Court also rejected his bail plea. Besides, the court had asked the trial court to complete the trial by July 31, 2013. If the bail is granted, it would affect the ongoing proceedings, added the prosecution. Mohanan moved the bail plea last week stating that the deposition of eyewitnesses had been over.
His contention was that the Supreme Court, which had rejected his bail application in February, had asked him to file a fresh application once the cross-examination of witnesses was over. He had moved the Supreme Court after the High Court rejected his bail plea in December 2012. However, prosecution informed the court that the depositions of the witnesses are progressing in the court and the High Court direction was to file a bail application when the cross-examination of witnesses was over. Meanwhile, defence counsels argued that there exists a SC direction that the accused can move a bail plea once the cross-examination of the eye witnesses is over.
