Kodanad Heist-Murder Case: Madras HC Permits Summoning Of EPS, Sasikala
After the prosecution’s examination of witnesses is concluded, the petitioners must be given an opportunity to examine the eight witnesses mentioned in the petition, including Palanisami, Sasikala.
The Madras High Court on Friday allowed a plea from three accused in the Kodanad Estate heist-murder case to summon former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and deposed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala and her relatives and examine them as defence witnesses before the trial court in Nilgiris District.
Justice P Velmurugan allowed the criminal revision petition filed by the accused D Deepu, M S Satheesan and A Santhosh Samy in the year 2021 against an order of the trial court, refusing to summon to summon the two leaders in connection with the crime reported at Kodanad estate, owned by the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Sasikala is a close aide of the late AIADMK supremo.
Originally, the three accused filed a petition before the trial court at Udhagamandalam to examine Palaniswami and others to unearth the truth behind the heist.
Partly allowing the petition, the trial court in April 2021 granted permission to examine Natarajan, the then manager of the Kodanad estate but refused to grant permission to examine the former chief minister and others. Challenging this order, the accused filed the present criminal revision petitions.
Admittedly, in the present case, several untoward incidents occurred after the crime took place, the judge said.
"For instance, one of the accused died five days after the incident, another accused is said to have met with an accident, and a person who had worked at the bungalow subsequently committed suicide. The petitioners have requested to examine Mr Edappadi K Palaniswami, which they believe is essential to uncovering the truth. The petitioner further contends that the incident occurred at the bungalow of the former Chief Minister, Selvi J Jayalalithaa." "During her visits to Kodanad, Edappadi K Palaniswami, who was serving as a Minister, is likely to have accompanied her. Therefore, he may be familiar with the bungalow. This Court finds the reasons stated by the learned counsel to be reliable. Considering these facts, and in the interest of justice in order to conduct a fair trial, this Court finds that the petitioners' request cannot be dismissed as vexatious," the judge said.
Further, citing the testimony of one of the witnesses, the court said it was revealed that upon entering the bungalow, one would pass through the office room and proceed upstairs in the Kodanad bungalow.
On the right side was Jayalalithaa's room, while on the left was Sasikala's. "This testimony indicates that Sasikala was closely associated with the bungalow where the occurrence took place. Therefore, it cannot be stated that the examination of Mrs. Sasikala Natarajan as a defense witness is vexatious." The judge said if the prosecution was required to examine any additional witnesses based on the further investigation, the trial should proceed accordingly.
After the prosecution’s examination of witnesses is concluded, the petitioners must be given an opportunity to examine the eight witnesses mentioned in the petition, including Palanisami, Sasikala and her relatives Elavarasi and V N Sudhakaran.
In April 2017, about five months after Jayalalithaa's death, a security guard at her Kodanad Estate in Udhagamandalam was killed during a heist at the sprawling property of the former CM.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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