Dismissing the criminal appeal filed by an accused in the case of murders of three Scheduled Caste persons in Kachanatham in Sivaganga district in 2018, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the trial court to dispose of the case in two months.
On May 28, 2018, three members of a Scheduled Caste were murdered and five members injured when a group of people from a dominant community attacked them with deadly weapons following a dispute over presenting temple honours in Kachanatham.
The court was hearing the criminal appeal filed by Muthu Servai, one of the accused. The Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under SC/ST (PoA) Act in Sivaganga had dismissed his bail petition.
The case of the prosecution was that 33 persons were accused in the case. A total of 65 witnesses were examined in the case. The trial was getting delayed due to the failure of the accused to attend court, it was submitted. The prosecution prayed that the appeal be dismissed.
Justice R. Tharani observed that on the direction of the High Court the case before the trial court was being taken up on a day-to-day basis. Under these circumstances, if the appellant was released on bail, there was a possibility of a delay in conducting the trial.
There were 33 accused in the case, and if one of them was absent the trial would be delayed. There was no necessity to release the appellant at the present stage, the judge said.
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