A decision on the bail petition submitted by Kaari Satheesh, who has been charged with stabbing Paul Muthoot George, was deferred to Friday after the District Sessions Judge E. Mytheen Kunju heard arguments on the petition here on Thursday.
The decision was deferred after the prosecution failed to answer the judge’s query relating to the witnesses of the murder. The defence lawyer, B. Shivadas, had pointed out that there were inconsistencies in the statements of Paul’s driver Shibu and those of Om Prakash and Rajesh, the 15th and 16th accused in the case. While Shibu said that there was only one passenger along with him in his Scorpio while there were two others with Paul in the Ford Endeavour, Prakash and Rajesh had stated to the police that both of them were with Shibu in the Scorpio on the night of the incident on August 22 and not in the Endeavour with Paul.
Such inconsistencies had to be probed thoroughly before Satheesh could be denied bail, the defence lawyer argued, adding that incongruities in witness statements had to be straightened out if it had to be proved that Satheesh had indeed stabbed Paul. The court’s query to Assistant Public Prosecutor Joykutty Jose on the incongruities did not draw a satisfactory reply with the APP asking for more to ‘study the case and reply later’.
Meanwhile, the judicial remand of the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21{+s}{+t} accused in the case was extended to October 6 by the Ramankary Judicial First Class Magistrate Subitha Chirakkal. The five, whose remand was extended, were Faizal, Sabeer, Riyaz, Farooque and Marzook.
