A special court in Mannarkkad in Palakkad district, where tribal youth Madhu’s lynching case trial is progressing, on Wednesday witnessed interesting scenes after the court ordered to check the eyesight of a witnesses who turned hostile.
When Sunil Kumar, a temporary forest watcher, latest to turn hostile in the case, told the court that he did not see Madhu getting thrashed by the accused, prosecution produced a video of the incident. In the video, Kumar was seen watching the incident. The court then asked whether he could identify himself in the video he all of sudden said he could not see anything in the video.
The court then wondered when everyone assembled in the court could see the video why he could not see it and directed police to test his eye sight. He was then taken to the district eye hospital for vision check and later report confirmed that his sight was normal. The court is expected to take up his medical report on Thursday.
With the latest development total number of witnesses turning hostile in the case went up to 16. The forest department has later terminated his service.
“Despite our best efforts many witnesses are turning hostile. That is why we brought the video of the incident to the court room,” public prosecutor Rajesh Menon said, adding despite legal and department action many witnesses turned hostile. Kumar is the fourth forest watcher to lose his job.
After Madhu’s mother complained laxity on the part of authorities, the court had cancelled the bail of 12 of the 16 accused last month, but four are still absconding.
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, who spent his Onam in a tribal settlement in Palakkad last week, had met his mother and sister in their house. After spending some time at their house, Khan expressed hope that Madhu’s family will get justice soon.
Mentally-challenged Madhu (28) was lynched by a mob on Feb 22, 2018 alleging theft of food articles in Agali in Palakkad district. Later autopsy report confirmed that he suffered serious internal injuries in the attack that led to his death. Some of the accused later posted selfies with the frail bleeding man who was tied to a tree inviting enough outrage.
Later the government constituted a special investigation team which filed a charge sheet in six months against 16 accused. Besides murder (Section 302 of the IPC) they were charged under the SC/ST prevention of atrocities act, 1989. But the case dragged and the public prosecutor was shifted after the family complained against him and later 16 witnesses turned hostile during the trial.
The lynching incident triggered countrywide outrage and indignation inviting enough embarrassment to the Left government. Attapadi is one of the most impoverished tribal areas of the state that hit headlines frequently over malnutrition deaths of children and tribal exploitation.
