Sundariamma murder: court sets accused free

Special Additional Sessions Court says he was implicated by police

October 15, 2014 12:12 pm | Updated May 23, 2016 04:30 pm IST - KOZHIKODE:

Jayesh alias Babu (28), accused in the murder of Sundariamma, comes out of the court flanked by police personnel, after he was acquitted by the court in Kozhikode on Tuesday.- Photo: K. Ragesh

Jayesh alias Babu (28), accused in the murder of Sundariamma, comes out of the court flanked by police personnel, after he was acquitted by the court in Kozhikode on Tuesday.- Photo: K. Ragesh

The Special Additional Sessions Court (Marad Cases) here on Tuesday set free the lone accused in the murder of Sundariamma, an aged woman, at Vattakkinar on the outskirts of the city more than two years ago.

Jabbar alias Jayesh alias Babu (28) of Nedumpurayil House at Kallayi, who was named accused in the case, was exonerated of all charges, as the court found that he had been falsely implicated by the special team of the Crime Branch –Crime Investigation Department and the city police.

Sundariamma (69) was attacked in her house at 1.30 a.m. on July 21, 2012.

The seriously injured woman died at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital here three hours later.

In the judgement, Special Judge S. Krishnakumar asked the State government to compensate Jabbar with Rs.1 lakh.

This should be recovered from Circle Inspector P. Pramod and Deputy Superintendent of Police  E.P. Prithvirajan, who investigated the case.

The compensation was awarded under Section 358 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The amount stipulated under the provision was Rs.1,000.

But, it had to be enhanced since the accused had been in remand for more than a year, after his arrest on September 11, 2013.

Departmental action

The court also ordered that a copy of the verdict be sent to Director General of Police K.S. Balasubramanian through the High Court of Kerala for initiating departmental proceedings against the two officers.

The court also ordered show-cause notices to both the officers under Section 340 of the CrPC.

The order issued asked why action should not be initiated against Mr. Pramod under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Mr. Prithvirajan under Section 194 (Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence) of the IPC.

The court also ordered the Crime Branch Superintendent of Police to re-investigate the case under Section 173 (8) of the CrPC.

Sundariamma, who was living alone in one of the four row houses at Chirakkal Lane, used to make a living by selling homemade snacks, idlis, and dosas to small hotels. She supplied idlis to the hotel where Jabber worked.

The Panniyankara police initially investigated the case. It was later transferred to the Kozhikode Crime Branch (Hurt and Homicide Wing). 

Several hundreds of people including migrant workers were interrogated. There was no eyewitness and no clear motive established.

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