The final trial in the abduction and death of Kevin P. Joseph is slated to begin with the Additional Sessions Court-IV, Kottayam, completing the framing of charges against all the 14 persons accused in case.
Considering the case, Judge K.G. Sanal Kumar found enough evidence to frame charges of murder against the accused. Accordingly, the accused have been booked under IPC Sections 120 B, 34, 449, 427, 506(2), 323, 342, 364, 364 A and 302.
The court is now slated to consider the case on March 20 for scheduling of the final trial.
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During the preliminary hearing, prosecution lawyer C.S. Ajayan pointed out that the possibility of an accidental drowning could be ruled out as there was little chance for the victim who knew swimming to drown in waste-deep water in the stream. Instead, there were strong circumstantial evidences for homicidal drowning, as supported by the opinion of the forensic team of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.
As per prosecution case, a gang led by Shyanu Chacko, brother of Kevin’s fiance Neenu Chacko, abducted Kevin from his rented residence at Gandhi Nagar to Thenmala on the night of May, 2018 and chased him to a stream at Chaliyakkara, near Thenmala, with an intention to kill him. The prosecution also produced about 180 documents, 176 witnesses, DNA test results, records of phone calls made by the accused and three vehicles as evidence in the case.
The court had earlier ordered to fast-track the trial so as to complete the proceedings in six months.
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The Special Investigation Team, which investigated the case, charged the accused, including the brother and father of Neenu, with culpable homicide, kidnapping, conspiracy and breaking into the house, among other offences.
The accused in the case were identified as Shyanu Chacko, his friends Niyas Mon, Niyas Ismail, Riyas, Chacko, Manu Muraleedharan, Shifin Sajad, N Nishad, Tittu Jerome, Vishnu, Fazil Sherif , Shanu, Shinu and Reneesh.