The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Plea against additional charge sheet in rape case dismissed

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Plea against additional charge sheet in rape case dismissed

Special Correspondent

Court refuses to interfere with sessions court decision "Investigation agency is entitled to file additional charge sheet at any stage of the trial"

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to interfere with a sessions court decision to allow filing of an additional charge sheet, including rape charges against 10 persons, in the Vachathi case.

Justice K.N. Basha dismissed revision petitions filed by the 10 persons, who challenged the Krishnagiri sessions court order permitting the Central Bureau of Investigation to file the additional charge sheet against them.

The agency sought to lay additional charges against them pursuant to the statements of tribal victims of Vachathi that the 10 accused had outraged their modesty.

The petitioners said the investigating agency should not be permitted to add new charges, especially when the trial was nearing completion.

However, Mr. Justice Basha said an investigation agency was entitled to file additional charge sheet at any stage of the trial and against any of the accused.

"Nothing wrong"

He held there was nothing wrong in the CBI plea as well as the sessions court order.

Only last week, a Division Bench of the High Court had asked the CBI and the State police to explain as to why the trial in the case could not be completed even 11 years after charge sheet was filed.

The case pertains to the violence unleashed, allegedly by Forest and police personnel, against tribal residents of Vachathi in June 1992.

The case was handed over to the CBI in February 1995. The charge sheet was filed in April 1996.

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