Tamil Nadu   

Conviction in caste clash case confirmed

MADURAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday confirmed the conviction and sentence imposed on 20 people for ransacking the houses of another caste group and torching several vehicles in retaliation to the murder of a person from their community at Vadaku Vaigaikulam in Tirunelveli district on May 24, 2004.

Dismissing criminal appeals filed before the Madurai Bench, Justice A. Selvam said: “From the available evidence, the court can easily discern that the appellants were the members of an irate mob. In fact, they created tantrums and rumpus in the place of occurrence.”

He directed the trial court to take necessary steps to incarcerate the convicts who were out on bail.

“In the instant case, it is not an adulation to say that the prosecution has clearly established the motive for the offence and also all the details of the occurrence,” the Judge said.

On the appellants’ contention that there was no independent witness to the attack but for the complainants who deposed as prosecution witnesses, the Judge said: “Of course it is true that there is no independent witness…But the categorical evidence of the prosecution witnesses has reposed confidence of the court.”

Further, the occurrence had taken place owing to animosity between people belonging to different castes. In such circumstances, no independent witness would have come forward to depose evidence in support of the prosecution. Hence the appellants’ contention was sans merit.

Rejecting the appellants’ contention that the prosecution witnesses could not have witnessed the incident, Mr. Justice Selvam said: “It is not an exaggeration to say that this court has minutely scanned the entire evidence adduced by the prosecution witnesses.”

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