MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday sought a report from the Theni CB-CID as to why it has not arrested four of the accused in the Periyakulam land scam case. Justice P Velmurugan raised the question while hearing the bail petition filed by K Mohanram, one of the accused, for the second time.
The case pertained to the illegal issuance of pattas for nearly 180 acres of government land in Theni. The prosecution alleged Mohanram, who was Zonal Deputy Tahsildar, colluded with the other accused and manipulated land records and illegally transferred government land to private individuals.
Mohanram denied the allegations saying he was not in station at the relevant point of time. Though he moved the court last month seeking bail, the court dismissed the petition considering the gravity of the charges. However, he filed a second bail petition.
When the case was heard on Thursday, Additional Advocate General Veera Kathiravan told the court that out of eight people booked in the case, four have been arrested. Three have been granted bail already, he added. Asking why the remaining four accused in the case have not been arrested so far, Justice Velmurugan directed the CB-CID to file a report on Friday.
7 years R.I. for sexual assault of daughter
A special court for POCSO cases in Chennai sentenced a 40-year-old to seven years of imprisonment for sexually assaulting his minor step-daughter three years ago. Judge M Rajalakshmi pronounced the verdict on Wednesday, handing the jail term along with a `25,000 fine to the convict for aggravated sexual assault under Section 10 of the POCSO Act. However, the judge said the prison term already undergone can be set off. The prosecution said the girl’s mother had separated from her husband and married the convict. The child was left under the care of her grandmother. On the day of the incident, the convict sexually assaulted the minor at her mother’s house and attacked her with a broomstick and belt, threatening her not to disclose the incident. Following a complaint from the survivor’s grandmother, the accused was arrested on September 16, 2019