The Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Special Court at Mannarkkad will expedite the ongoing trial in the lynching case of Attappady Madhu. The court said on Wednesday that it would speed up the trial by hearing five witnesses every day.
The court decided to hear five witnesses every day following a directive by the High Court to expedite the case. Although Madhu, a tribal youngster from Chindakki in Attappady, died after he was tied and beaten up by a group of people on February 22, 2018, the trial of the case began nearly after four-and-a-half years. The trial began on June 8 this year.
High Court directive
The High Court had directed the trial court to complete the trial by August end. The special court told both the prosecution and the defendants that the trial should be expedited and that it should be completed by this month end.
Meanwhile, one more witness turned hostile during trial on Wednesday. Veeran, witness number 21, retracted his original statement saying that it was made under duress because of police threat.
Several witnesses have turned hostile in the case, causing worry for the family of Madhu and the prosecution as well.
Murukan, witness number 22, did not turn up at the court to give his statement on Wednesday. The court issued a warrant against him.
According to legal observers, the delay in the beginning of the trial and the bail given to the 16 accused helped the accused influence the witnesses.
