Taking into account that the trial in the Gokulraj murder case was at a crucial stage, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed the criminal appeals preferred by six accused facing trial in the case. The accused had challenged the dismissal of their bail applications by the III Additional Sessions Judge, Madurai.
Justice R. Tharani took cognisance of the fact that the court in 2019 had dismissed similar criminal appeals preferred by the four accused in the case. The court observed that out of the 116 witnesses, 86 were already examined and most of the witnesses yet to be examined were only official witnesses.
The Supreme Court has already passed an order to complete the trial in the case within a prescribed time limit. In view of the fact that connected bail petitions were dismissed by various courts and considering the order of the Supreme Court, releasing the accused on bail at this stage may cause delay in the disposal of the case, the court said.
“It is seen that the offence is grave in nature. Whether there is any overt act against the appellants and whether there is any evidence against them cannot be decided before the completion of the trial. The alleged motive for the occurrence is communal hatred which is against the Constitution,” the judge observed and dismissed the criminal appeals.
The appeals were preferred by Sathishkumar, Sridhar, Ranjith, Suresh, Giridhar and Prabhu facing trial in the murder case.
The Madras High Court transferred the trial in the case to Madurai based on a petition filed by the mother of Gokul Raj. She apprehended that she might not get justice if the trial was conducted in Namakkal, under hostile circumstances.
The body of Gokul Raj, belonging to a Scheduled Caste community, was found on a railway track near Pallipalayam, Namakkal district, on June 24, 2015. The youth’s mother alleged that her son was murdered for being in a relationship with a caste Hindu girl.
