MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday acquitted a man who had been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of murdering a couple in Kanniyakumari in 2009. According to the prosecution, the acquitted man, S Charles of Kanniyakumari, had worked for the deceased couple for nearly eight years, residing in their outhouse and looking after their farm.
On August 8, 2009, the deceased - Rajendra Kumar and Leela - had gone to the chariot festival at a local church with their children. The couple returned home around 9.30 pm, while the children stayed behind. However, the next morning, the couple was found dead in their house with multiple injuries.
A day later, Charles gave an extrajudicial confession before the Village Administrative Officer that he murdered the couple because "they went to the church and worshipped evil spirits despite his warning not to go". The murder weapon, a knife, was recovered and in August 2010, he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment of not less than 20 years. Charles challenged the sentence in 2020.
But a bench comprising justices PN Prakash and R Hemalatha said the motive mentioned in the confession statement was illogical since Charles himself was a Christian. An extrajudicial confession has to be either believed in total or rejected in total. One cannot accept the part where Charles said he committed the murder and reject the part where he stated his motive, the judges opined.
There are also other versions in the evidence that Charles might have committed the murder for the properties of the couple or due to fear of losing his job, the judges noted. When there are conflicting versions with regard to the murder motive, the appellant cannot be convicted merely based on recovery of the murder weapon, the judges held and acquitted Charles.
Anticipatory bail granted to man who threatened judges
MADURAI: The Madurai Bench recently granted anticipatory bail to Manithaneya Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam president Palai Rafi in a case registered against him for making threatening remarks against High Court and Supreme Court judges while condemning the Karnataka HC's hijab verdict in two meetings held in March this year in Tirunelveli.
Rafi tendered an unconditional apology and expressed his willingness to issue a public apology. Hearing the same, Justice K Murali Shankar granted anticipatory bail to Rafi on the condition that he should give a public apology in two newspapers and also upload it on social media along with his photograph.
Two other persons - Rajik Mohamed and Navab Sha of Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath - who were booked by Thanjavur police in a similar case were also granted anticipatory bail without the aforesaid condition since they were only organisers of the meeting.