M.S. Mathew, the second accused in the Koodathayi serial murder case, has sought the intervention of the trial court to stop screening of the documentary ‘Curry and Cyanide - The Jolly Joseph Case’ on Netflix.
He moved a petition in the Special Additional Sessions Court (Marad cases) on Tuesday alleging that fake information related to the case was under circulation even before the verdict was out.
In his petition, Mr. Mathew also complained that a television channel and few online medias were equally involved in telecasting of false and objectionable content related to the incident and the case. Meanwhile, the prosecution’s argument on the plaint would be heard by the court on January 29.
A few months ago, some forensic experts in the State were also found raising concern over featuring of all key witnesses and investigating officers in the Netflix series ignoring the ongoing trial. According to them, it was setting a wrong precedent.
The film directed by Christo Tomy and premiered on the OTT platform in December 2023 had drawn wide attention from viewers. The team behind the production was, however, found maintaining silence over the latest controversies associated with the fictional work.
In a similar complaint, the Kerala High Court had previously stayed the telecasting of a Malayalam serial based on the serial murders. The order was issued in 2020 on a complaint by one of the witnesses who alleged that the serial portrayed them in bad light. The court had even sought the views of the State government and the police on the same.
It was between 2002 and 2016 that the chain of suspected murders took place in Koodathayi village in Kozhikode. The first victim was Jolly’s mother-in-law Annamma Thomas who died in 2002. Six years later, Jolly’s father-in-law Tom Thomas died of ‘heart failure’. In 2011, her husband Roy died under suspicious circumstances.
In 2014, Annamma’s brother Mathew Manchadiyil was found dead. The other two suspected victims were Sily, wife of Shaju Zachariya, who is Roy’s cousin and Jolly’s second husband and Sily’ one-year-old daughter Alphine. The two died under mysterious circumstances in 2016.
A comprehensive probe was launched into the incident on a complaint by Rojo Thomas, the youngest son of Tom Thomas. On October 5, a Special Investigation Team led by then Superintendent of Police (Kozhikode Rural) K.G. Simon arrested Jolly along with two others who were accused of murdering the six by serving them poison-laced food to gain control over family properties.
Published - January 18, 2024 08:45 pm IST
