Principal District and Sessions Court Judge K. Murali Sankar on Wednesday adjourned the temple pujari suicide case till March 27.
All the six accused in the case, including O. Raja, brother of former Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam, appeared before the court. Deputy Superintendent of Police Uma Mahesharan, the investigation officer in the case, too appeared in the court.
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) B. Mohan, who resigned from his post in July last year citing poor cooperation from the police, wanted to conduct the trial. He had made a similar appeal during the previous hearing of the case on February 7.
But defence counsel M. Kannappan objected to it, stating that he had resigned from his post and the petitioner too had approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court for appointment of a new SPP. Once he resigned from his post, he could not continue as SPP, he contended.
The district court could not appoint him as SPP in the case. The Collector or the High Court alone could appoint an SPP. As a petition for the appointment of new SPP was pending before the High Court, it was not possible for him to appear now, Mr. Kannappan said.
The judge then advised the SPP respond to the defence counsel’s arguments during the next hearing.
When Mr. Mohan had resigned last year, the then Principal District and Sessions Court Judge R. Poornima had advised the complainant to arrange another SPP to expedite the trial.
Twenty one witnesses have so far been examined, and six of them turned hostile. Examination of police officers as witnesses is pending.
Theni District Court had transferred the case to the Dindigul court on November 25, 2015. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had directed the Dindigul court to complete the case within four months.
The case pertains to the suicide of S. Nagamuthu (22) of T. Kallupatti village, a Dalit who was working as pujari in Sri Kailasanathar Hill Temple in Periyakulam, on December 8, 2012, after he was allegedly subjected to harassment.
