KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed until further orders, the trial in the murder of tribal youth A Madhu, who was lynched on February 22, 2018, at Attappady in Palakkad district, allegedly for stealing rice from a grocery shop.
The Mannarkkad Special Court for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been conducting the trial. The court also sought the view of the state government on the demand of Madhu's mother Malli to remove the special public prosecutor.
The court issued the order on the petition filed by Malli seeking a directive to keep in abeyance all the proceedings in the murder case till the government takes a decision on her plea to remove special public prosecutor C Rajendran. Malli requested the government to hand over the case to additional special prosecutor Rajesh M Menon to conduct the trial.
The petitioner alleged that the present Special Public Prosecutor was conducting the trial in an inefficient manner and violating the basic principles of the rules pertaining to the examination of the witnesses. The investigation officer in the case had given a report to the district police chief regarding the lapses and foul play in conducting the trial.