Madurai : Madras high court on Wednesday directed the fifth additional sessions court in Madurai to complete the trial within nine months in the case pertaining to the custodial death of Madapuram temple security guard B Ajith Kumar in Thiruppuvanam, Sivaganga district in 2025.
The judge observed that the accused merely challenging the order of remand under section 528 of BNSS without approaching bail jurisdiction is not the correct way. Once the accused have been remanded to judicial custody with a reasoned order, they must work out their remedy before the appropriate forum for bail and cannot seek to have the remand order set aside by invoking the inherent powers of this court under section 528 of BNSS. Justice P Murugan gave the direction while dismissing the petitions filed by four police personnel – then Manamadurai DSP Shanmugasundaram, then Thiruppuvanam inspector of police Ramesh Kumar, then sub-inspector Sivakumar and then head constable Ilayaraja, challenging the order passed by the fifth additional sessions court in Madurai which remanded them in judicial custody.