The trial proceedings in the case of the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan will recommence on December 3 as Special Additional Sessions Court (Marad cases) judge, R. Narayana Pisharadi, who is trying the case, has been deputed to evaluate the answer sheets of the Munsiff- Magistrate examination in Kochi.
The judge was scheduled to recommence the trial on Wednesday. The trial was last conducted on November 8, official sources said.
Following a two-week stay on the trial proceedings on October 11, the High Court of Kerala had given one more month (December 31) to pronounce the verdict in the case. Earlier, the court had directed the trial court to give its verdict on or before November 30. This was after the judge sent a letter to the High Court seeking an extension as it had earlier asked the court to complete the trial by July 31, the sources said.
Currently the court is hearing the final arguments of the prosecution in the case. Special prosecutors C.K. Sreedharan and P. Kumarankutty have already sought two more days to sum up their arguments.
Subsequently the court would go ahead with the final arguments of the defence counsels. M.K. Damodaran, B.Raman Pillai, K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, P.V. Hari, M. Ashokan, K.P. Damodran Nambiar, Sreedhraan Nair, K.M. Ramdas and K. Viswan are appearing for the accused in the case.
The case relates to a section of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders in Kozhikode and Kannur districts allegedly hatching a plot and engaging a seven-member gang to kill Chandrasekharan who had walked out of the party and formed a parallel dissident outfit at Onchiyam. He was killed at Vallikad on May 4, 2012.
Official sources said the judge would either have to seek additional time for pronouncing the verdict or wait till the High Court suo motu takes up the issue and grants an extension.
However, the abrupt halt in the trial proceedings seemed to have upset the schedule of the lawyers, both from the prosecution and defence sides, appearing in the case.
At present, only 36 accused face trial as the court had acquitted 20 of them in September and discharged two others in December last. But 10 of them are still remanded in judicial custody at the district jail in the city.
On Wednesday, these accused were also produced before N.J. Jose, Wakf Tribunal and judge of the Kozhikode Third Additional District and Sessions Court, who has been given charge of the Special Additional Sessions Court (Marad cases). The court extended their remand for the next 14 days.
