Muttil tree felling
Aliyar had alleged fraud in the sale of timber from the illegally felled trees in 2021. The allegation is that they cheated Aliyar of Rs 1.4 crore and the FIR was registered on July 13, 2021. The case pertains to the FIR registered by Ambalamedu police on a petition filed by M M Aliyar, proprietor of Malabar Timber Industries, Karimugal. In July, HC dismissed the discharge petitions filed by Josekutty and Anto.
Kochi: Chottanikkara judicial first class magistrate court on Monday dismissed the petition filed by the accused in the cheating case connected with the controversial tree felling at Muttil in Wayanad in 2020-21. The court posted the framing of charges against the accused to Sept 7. The court, however, allowed the petition filed by the first accused Roji Augustine to record his plea through video conferencing.
His brothers Josekutty and Anto Augustine had earlier filed similar pleas which were also allowed. Kerala High Court had earlier dismissed a petition filed by Roji, seeking a stay of the ongoing trial in the cheating case in Chottanikkara court. The court on Monday heard a petition filed by the accused seeking a stay on further proceedings in the case, but dismissed it.