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Plea to delete former Minister's name from charge sheet dismissed

Staff Reporter

Achuthanandan not allowed to implead in sex scandal case

KOZHIKODE: The Second Additional Sub-Court and Assistant Sessions Court, Kozhikode, on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Special Public Prosecutor K.V. Joseph pleading that the name of former Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty be deleted from the charge sheet framed against 16 accused in the ice-cream parlour sex scandal case.

Judge K.P. Sudheer, having heard the arguments on the petition, passed the order on the ground that the charges once framed could not be altered.

The name of Mr. Kunhalikutty appears in seven places in the detailed charge sheet framed by the judge against the accused on October 15. Mr. Joseph filed the petition on the ground that the former Minister was not an accused.

The trial in the case will be held from November 14 to December 3.

Dismissed

The court also dismissed the petition filed by Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan on October 24 to implead in the case, after declining to hear the arguments, despite the plea of counsel Sivan Madathil, on the ground that the former was a ``stranger'' in the case. The petitioner's arguments could not be entertained as he had no locus standi. The order of the judge came on the ground that there was also no provision in the Criminal Procedure Code to entertain the petition. The petitioner, however, could approach the appellate forum with his contention, the court noted.

Mr. Achuthanandan had sought to implead himself in the case on the premise that he had serious misgivings on the stand taken by the Prosecutor in seeking to delete the name of the former Minister.

He had also alleged that there was a deep conspiracy by the State machinery to protect Mr. Kunhalikutty and thereby torpedo the case.

Stay on Ajitha's plea

Our Kochi Staff Reporter writes:

The Kerala High Court, on Tuesday, stayed the Kozhikode Additional Assistant Sessions Court order keeping a petition, filed by K. Ajitha, president, Anweshi Women's Counselling Centre, seeking to array Mr. Kunhalikutty as an accused in the ice-cream parlour sex scandal pending without passing a definite order on merits.

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