The Hindu : Kerala News : One of the accused in Marad case surrenders

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Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

One of the accused in Marad case surrenders

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, APRIL 26. One of the accused wanted in connection with the Marad cases surrendered before the Magistrate's Court attached to the Special Marad Court at Eranhipalam, this morning.

The accused, Thajudeen, a native of Marad, surrendered before the Magistrate, Anandakrishna Navada. He was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

Police sources said that Thajudeen was one of the three accused, who were absconding. The others are Koyamon and Nizamuddin, who are wanted in connection with the Marad killings on May 2, 2003. However, Thajudeen's surrender is in connection with the five cases, including murder, related to the communal clashes on the Marad beach in January 2002. It is reliably learnt that the Crime Branch Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) will file a petition in the court asking for Thajudeen's remand to judicial custody in the case relating to the Marad massacre on May 2 also.

The CBCID, which had probed the case, charge-sheeted 136 accused, excluding five juveniles. All the accused were remanded to custody while the juveniles were let out on bail. Thajudeen was named as one of the accused in the charge-sheet, the sources said.

Senior police officials said that Thajudeen had been earlier arrested in connection with the communal clashes at Marad on January 3 and 4. He was also remanded to judicial custody. But he went into hiding after getting bail from the court. Since the Crime Branch had already filed a charge-sheet against Thajudeen for his involvement in the Marad case, it is unlikely that the investigating officers would seek his custody for interrogation.

When another accused Latheef, who is reported to have helped in manufacturing and supplying bombs, had surrendered before the court last year, the Crime Branch did not seek his detention by the police for questioning, the sources said.

The sources added that Latheef and Koyamon, hailing from Chettippadi in Malappuram district, had been charge-sheeted for manufacturing and supplying bombs in the Marad case of 2003. It was suspected that both of them were involved in the Coimbatore serial blast cases. According to the sources, if the Crime Branch were to seek custody of the accused who surrendered before the court today, the trial would have to be stopped and further investigation conducted into the case.

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