The preliminary hearing in two of the six cases relating to Koodathayi serial killings will begin at the Kozhikode Principal Sessions Court on August 8.
The preliminary hearing under Section 226 (opening case for prosecution) of the Code of Criminal Procedure is basically a legal procedure to hear the prosecution and defence sides before the court officially frames the charges and reads out the chargesheet to the accused. Principal District Judge P. Ragini will try cases of the killings in which the prime accused Jolly Joseph allegedly finished off two branches of the Ponnamattom ancestral family. The chargesheet in all the cases have been submitted in court.
