The Muttom principal sessions court gave the accused 15 days’ time to appear
The police filed a 600-page chargesheet in the case on April 2, 2022. The prosecution has cited more than 160 witnesses. SFI activists Abhijith T Sunil and A S Amal, who attempted to intervene, were also seriously injured. Abhijith is the first prosecution witness and Amal the second. The accused face charges including murder, attempt to murder, assault, destruction of evidence and concealment of weapons.
The Muttom principal sessions court eventually gave the accused 15 days’ time to appear before the court. The court gave them 15 days. Dheeraj Rajendran, an SFI activist and student of Idukki Govt Engineering College, was stabbed to death during the college union election on Jan 10, 2022.
Sessions Judge Sanu S Panicker said the court was making considerable efforts to secure the presence of witnesses who had studied at the Idukki Govt Engineering College and were now working in different parts of the country and abroad. C K Vidyasagar withdrew his vakalath during the cross-examination of Abhijith T Sunil, making it the second such instance in the case, raising concerns over further delay in the trial. Paily, who was absent from court, failed to provide a reason for his non-appearance, and the court subsequently cancelled his bail. Vidyasagar also withdrew his vakalath for Jerin Jojo, Nithin Lukose, Jithin Uppumakkal, Zoimon Sunny and Jesin Joy. When the sessions court asked the accused whether they intended to engage another lawyer, they sought one month’s time. The prosecution alleges that the attack was carried out by a group led by Youth Congress and KSU activists who had arrived from outside the campus.
Idukki : The trial in the Dheeraj Rajendran murder case took another turn on Thursday after the defence counsel representing seven accused persons, including prime accused Nikhil Paily, withdrew from the case while the first prosecution witness was being cross-examined. The judge cancelled the bail of the third accused, Tony Thekkilakkadan — who is the district secretary of Youth Congress — on Wednesday for failing to appear for witness examination.