The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : N.R. Chandran Special Public Prosecutor in Melavalavu case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

N.R. Chandran Special Public Prosecutor in Melavalavu case

Special Correspondent

Court rejects plea for appointment of rights activist K.G. Kannabiran

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Advocate-General will be the Special Public Prosecutor in the Melavalavu murder case, in which six persons, including Murugesan, Dalit president of the Melavalavu panchayat, were murdered on June 30, 1997.

The First Bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla, passed the order on Tuesday after dismissing a writ petition, seeking the appointment of human rights activist K.G. Kannabiran as special prosecutor.

Out of the 41 persons charged with committing the murders, 17 were found guilty and awarded life imprisonment by the Salem Principal Sessions Court, while 23 others were acquitted of all charges. One person died during the trial. The criminal appeals of the accused and the revision petitions against the acquittal of 23 persons have been listed for final hearing in the High Court.

Tuesday's order was passed after Additional Advocate-General A.L. Somayaji told the court that the Government intended to appoint Mr. N.R. Chandran as Special Public Prosecutor.

In his petition, advocate K. Thilageswaran said the "default of the State/prosecution is writ large in the matter, and as such the prayer for appointment of Mr. Kannabiran at this juncture is very crucial and relevant to the effective handling of the case in the interests of the victims... "

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