The prosecution in the T. P. Chandrasekharan murder case filed a counter petition before the Special Additional District and Sessions Court (Marad cases) on Friday, opposing the bail plea moved by P. Mohanan, Kozhikode district secretariat member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M], and the 14th accused in the case.
R. Narayana Pisharadi, special judge, will hear the bail application on Saturday. The counter petition, moved by Special Public Prosecutor P. Kumarankutty, said that the petitioner (Mohanan) had been an “active conspirator” who had a major role in the incident. The petitioner had a “serious grudge” against Chandrasekharan, who was hacked to death on May 4, 2012. The counter said that Mohanan was a powerful person with considerable influence in the area. If he was released on bail, none of the witnesses would dare to depose in favour of the prosecution. On several occasions his bail petitions had been dismissed by the High Court of Kerala. Besides, the court had asked the trial court to complete the trial by July 31, 2013, it said.
Mohanan had moved the bail plea last week stating that the deposition of eyewitnesses had been over. His contention was that the Supreme Court, which had rejected his bail application in February, had asked him to file a fresh application once the cross-examination of witnesses was over. He had moved the apex court after the Kerala High Court rejected his bail plea in December 2012.
Meanwhile the court examined K. Azad, Sub Inspector, Special Branch, Kannur; Jeevan George, Sub Inspector, Nadapuram Police Station and P. Premachandran, Detective Inspector, Crime Branch, Kozhikode.
Mr. Azad had visited Mumbai for collecting evidence regarding the hideout T. K. Rajeesh, one of the alleged assailants while Mr. George had taken into custody the Toyota Innova MUV used by assailants.
Mr. Premachandran was a mahassar witness pertaining to the recovery of mobile phone from K. C. Ramachandran, member, Kunnummakkara local committee of the CPI (M) and the eighth accused in the case. This was soon after the accused was arrested by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), Jossy Cherian. Mr. Premachandran had also handed over the samples of hair and blood of the assailants Kirmani Manoj, N.K. Sunilkumar aka Kodi Suni, Mohammed Shafi and Shijith aka Annan to DySP K. V. Santhosh Kumar, according to prosecution.
