Thrissur: There was a ruckus outside the Thrissur District Additional Sessions Court here on Monday afternoon when the hostile witness K.C. Anoop was taken to a police vehicle after the court proceedings ended for the day.
A section of mediapersons scuffled with a sub-inspector, who allegedly tried to prevent the cameramen from snapping the witness. A crowd that had gathered there was seen swearing at Anoop and trying to assault him.
The mediapersons later complained to Circle Inspector Biju Kumar, the investigating officer in the case, about the SI’s behaviour.
Special Public Prosecutor C.P. Udayabhanu said that as per his information the hostile witness was given money to change his statement.
“Anoop said during the cross- examination that his monthly saving from a salary of Rs 14,000 was just Rs 2,250. But of late, he had purchased a car worth Rs 3.5 lakh and an EMI of Rs 6,750 has to be paid for that. His source of money for such a ‘luxury’ and to meet the expense of his six-member family consisting of his wife and four kids has to be inquired into,” he said.
The prosecution had orally requested the judge to send the hostile witness to judicial custody as there was no guarantee of Anoop appearing before the court on Tuesday for cross-examination.
As Anoop did not have a passport, the plan of the defendant in the case, who reportedly struck a deal with him, was to take the hostile witness outside the country by road through Nepal, he said.
“In all the 13 cases in which Nisham was involved before the murder case, there were attempts to settle the cases by offering money,” he said.
