The Hindu : New Delhi News : Interference in Kiruttinan murder trial continues: petition

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Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008
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Interference in Kiruttinan murder trial continues: petition

J. Venkatesan

Wants trial transferred from the sessions court in Chittoor

New Delhi: Alleging continued interference in the T. Kiruttinan murder trial by M.K. Azhagiri, son of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, even after case was shifted to the sessions court in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, an application was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday for modifying the order.

Acting on a transfer petition filed by M. Muthuramalingam, the apex court in August last year had transferred the trial from Madurai sessions court.

The present application is filed in the same transfer petition.

The petitioner said that he was constrained to move the application for issuing further directions in view of the subsequent developments. He said that the apex court had directed that the entire records in Tamil be translated into English and Telugu.

It had come to light that the translations were not done by any official translator but was done at the instance of the accused themselves, by Mohammed Jinnah, a State-level office-bearer of the youth wing of the ruling DMK party.

He said that private translation made by a party functionary was sought to be brought on record, on the basis of which the trial would now proceed. Further, he alleged that the State machinery had been used to confer benefits on various persons connected with the murder case, by way of appointment to government posts.

Calculated attempt

He alleged that there had been a systematic and calculated attempt at subverting the due process of law and to undermine the sanctity of the orders passed by the apex court.

Further directions

The compelling circumstances required the court to issue further directions, viz to transfer the trial to a court other than the one in Chittoor; direct the Andhra Pradesh government to appoint a senior lawyer as a public prosecutor to conduct the case and to direct translation of all records into English and Telugu by official translators appointed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

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