KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea of Roji Augustine, the first accused in an alleged cheating case connected with the Muttil tree-felling case, seeking a stay of the proceedings until the final report is filed in a case registered by the Range Forest Officer, Meppady Range, Wayanad.
The Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court had earlier dismissed Roji Augustine’s plea, following which he approached the High Court.
The cheating case is pending against him and his brothers, Jose Kutty Augustine and Anto Augustine, who have also been arraigned as accused.
The case relates to the alleged cheating of M M Aliyar of Karimukal in Ernakulam by selling him timber allegedly felled and transported illegally from an area under the Meppadi forest range in Wayanad.
Aliyar was allegedly made to believe that the timber had the requisite forest department passes.
Director General of Prosecution T Asaf Ali submitted that the petitioner is a history-sheeter and is an accused in 37 crimes of a similar nature. He said the investigation into the main case relates to the illegal mass felling of trees in South Muttil in the Meppadi forest range in Wayanad had been completed, but the final report had not been filed due to the High Court’s intervention.
The court had, on September 9, vacated the interim order and directed the investigating officer to file the final report in the main case on or before September 18.
The court said the cheating case dates back to 2022 and directed the trial court to commence proceedings in the case pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Chottanikkara, from September 22 and dispose of it in accordance with law within six months.
