KOCHI: The DNA samples and statements of witnesses, and even the accused, turned crucial for the CBI to prove that 14 persons -- including CPM ex-MLA K V Kunhiraman -- were guilty in the Periya twin-murder case. According to CBI prosecutor Bobby Joseph Y, scientific evidence collected during the investigation came in handy during the trial at the CBI court.
The most crucial elements were DNA samples collected from material objects, he said.
“Third accused Suresh K M had attacked Sarath Lal using a sword. During the attack, the handle of the sword broke and Suresh suffered a minor injury. After recovering the sword and the broken handle, DNA samples were extracted. We could recover blood stains of both Suresh and Sharath Lal from the handle and the sword,” Bobby said.
After the arrest, Suresh was examined by Dr Jithin Raj at the hospital, he pointed out. The doctor found that the accused sustained injuries on his finger. When the doctor asked about the injury, Suresh admitted that he suffered the injury after the handle of the sword broke while attacking Sarath Lal. Suresh gave a similar answer before the magistrate court where he was taken to as part of the remand procedure.
“This was presented as crucial evidence in the case during the trial,” the CBI prosecutor said.
Similarly, a metallic sword without a handle, metallic pipes, and a rectangular pipe used by the accused to attack Youth Congress workers had traces of human blood, which was found to be of group B. And the DNA sample matched that of Sarath Lal.
Second accused Saji escaped after the attack in a Maruti Suzuki Dzire car. Samples of blood found on the door pad of the car matched Saji’s DNA.
“A pair of chappals was recovered from the same car. During the DNA analysis, the blood stain found on the chappal was proved to be of Saji and Suresh. Another crucial piece of evidence was a glove and a T-shirt which belonged to Gigin. He was wearing a glove while attacking the victims. His DNA sample was recovered from the glove. Also, his T-shirt recovered during the probe contained the blood stain of Sarath Lal,” Bobby said.
Advocate K Padmanabhan, who represented the family members of Sarath Lal and Kripesh, said that one of the most crucial depositions was given by Sarath Lal’s uncle Damodaran. “After the attack, it was Damadoran and one Janardhanan who took Sarath Lal to the hospital in a jeep driven by one Anand. On the way to the hospital, Sarath Lal attempted to say something. Damodaran asked Sarath Lal, ‘Who did this to you, son?’. In response, Sarath Lal murmured ‘Gijin, Gijin’ before closing his eyes,” Padmanabhan said. He said though Damodaran conveyed this to the Crime Branch, it was not recorded in his statement.
“Later, during the CBI investigation, he realised that his crucial statement was not recorded. The court found that the statement given by Sarath Lal to Damodaran can be relied upon under Section 32 of the Indian Evidence Act, which relates to a statement of relevant fact given by a person who is dead,” Padmanabhan said.
The key statement referred to by the court to find Kunhiraman guilty was a deposition given by a journalist named Madhavan. In its order, the court reserved appreciative words for Madhavan. The journalist had testified that four convicted persons, including Kunhiraman, took away second accused Saji George from a police vehicle after he was taken into custody from a place named Pakkam. “His evidence inspires the confidence of the court. The bold stand taken by Madhavan, the journalist, at the time of investigation and at the time of trial is appreciated,” the court observed.