Palakkad: All the sixteen people accused in the murder of tribal youth Madhu Chindakki of Attappadi were sent to judicial custody by the SC/ST court at Manarkkad on Sunday. As the prosecution did not seek their police custody, the court, which was specially opened on Sunday for hearing the case, remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days. The accused are at present lodged in Palakkad sub-jail.
Tribal welfare minister A.K. Balan visited the house of Madhu at Chindakki tribal settlement on Sunday and announced that a special public prosecutor would be appointed in the case. Palakkad district police chief Pratheesh Kumar said there were ample and solid evidence against the accused to prove the charges of murder slapped on them. "We are in the process of collecting all possible evidence and statements need to be collected from several witnesses as well," he said.
The police will be putting up the request before the court to get the accused in custody on Tuesday for collection of evidence by taking them to the scene of the crime and for conducting the identification parade, it is learnt. Meanwhile, Pune-based criminal lawyer B A Aloor who had appeared as the defense lawyer in the sensational rape and murder cases of in Soumya of Shornur and Jisha of Perumbavoor has started negotiations with the relatives of the accused in the Madhu murder case. Aloor told DC that two of his juniors have already reached Palakkad. "I am planning to reach Palakkad on Monday," he said.
