A magistrate court here has ordered judicial custody for ‘Police’ Fakrudhin and his associate Bilal Malik till December 16, after the CB CID police submitted that it had completed interrogation in connection with the Paramakudi Murugan murder case during police custody.
The two accused were produced before the court on Monday after the expiry of seven days police custody granted on November 25. Judicial Magistrate-II N.Velusamy directed that they be lodged in Vellore Central Prison.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CB CID told the magistrate that it had completed the interrogation and filed in sealed covers statements of the accused confessing to the crime and statements of seven witnesses.
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Assistant Public Prosecutor P.M.Muniandi, appearing for the investigating agency, informed the court that SIT had also invoked Section 5 of Unlawful activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 against the accused. They were already facing charges under Sections 302, 506 (ii) read with section 5 of Explosives and Substances Act and Sections 16 and 18 of Unlawful activities (prevention) Act.
The accused replied in the negative when the magistrate asked whether they were tortured in police custody. They however, told the Magistrate that the police obtained their signatures on blank white papers and were trying to implicate them in other cases, about which, they claimed they had no knowledge.
When the magistrate ordered judicial custody, the accused pleaded that they be lodged in the Madurai Central prison so that their relatives could visit them in jail, but their plea was turned down.
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As the accused complained about police asking them to cover their faces whenever they were brought to the court, the magistrate said the police could do so only for the purpose of security.