The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Retrial to begin on March 21

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 15, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Retrial to begin on March 21

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM, MARCH 14. R etrial in the Dharmapuri bus burning case will begin on March 21, the Salem First Additional District Sessions judge, D. Krishna Raja, said today.

The trial, to be conducted three days a week, would begin with the examination of five witnesses.

Earlier, charges were framed against 31 accused in the case. A charge under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (violation of prohibitory orders passed under Section 30 (2) of the Police Act) was added to 21charges framed during the trial in a Krishnagiri court. The Salem court had asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to frame charges afresh.

When the Special Public Prosecutor, R. Srinivasan, requested that the burnt bus be produced during the trial, the judge ordered the SIT to do the needful.

The SPP referred to the word `not' written by hand with an ink pen on a typed document addressed to the Superintendent of Police, Dharmapuri. The document said the fax message sent by Udhayasuriyan about the demonstration of the AIADMK partymen on the day of the incident was `not' available with the Collectorate. The judge said the statement was confusing and sought an explanation from a Collectorate official. As he did not answer properly, he directed district officials to produce a few more documents to clarify the statement.

In February 2000, three girl students of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, were burnt alive in a riot that followed the conviction of Jayalalithaa in the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay Hotel case.

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