Hooch tragedy case trial begins

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, MARCH 26. The sensational Kalluvathukkal-Pallikkal- Pallipuram serial hooch tragedy trial began at the district and sessions court here this morning.

The accused number one, Hyrunnisa, led an onslaught against the media and crowd that had gathered there by showering a volley of verbal abuses. Her move encouraged some of the other accused persons to even assault a couple of media persons.

Thirty-one of the 34 persons chargesheeted in the case were to be produced before the court. Three of the accused are hospitalised. While 47 persons figure as accused in the case, four are no more, three are yet to receive chargesheet and the remaining are reported absconding.

A huge crowd had gathered at the court complex to have a glimpse of the accused being produced before the district and sessions judge, Mr. A. Dennison. Seeing the media persons, the accused refused to alight from the van.

Hyrunnisa, who alighted first, showered verbal abuses on the crowd in general and the media in particular. Her husband, Rajan, (accused number two) who followed was seen giving a helping hand to their employee and accused number three, Raju, who has lost his vision as he had also consumed the killer brew.

As the other accused persons began rushing out from the van, one of them suddenly pounced and punched the ACV videographer, Mr. Jayamohan Thampi. The Mathrubhumi photographer, Mr. Murali, was also attacked and his camera was badly damaged.

An argument from the defence side that some of the accused were not given copies of the chargesheet was denied by the special prosecutor, Mr. V. Sugathan. He, however, said that in case more copies were needed, arrangements could be made.

After going through the preliminary procedures, the judge posted the case for April 2. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. K.K. Joshua, from the Special Investigation Team, was also present.

Attack on media condemned

The district unit of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) has protested the assault on the media by the accused persons inside the court complex. In a statement, the KUWJ office-bearers said that the incident was all the more serious as it had taken place right in the presence of a strong police force.

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Section  : Southern States
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