The Mannarkkad SC / ST Special Court on Tuesday has questioned the repeated absence of the special public prosecutor representing the dead tribal man Madhu. A 27-year-old tribal man from Palakkad was lynched by a mob in 2018 over suspicion of theft of food.
The Special Public Prosecutor for the dead tribal man Madhu was absent today when the case was being heard before the special court. Earlier on November 15 last year, the court had postponed the hearing to January 25 since the prosecutor was not present on that day as well.
The court has again adjourned the case further until February 26, 2022. Earlier V. T. Raghunath was appointed as the prosecutor for the deceased in August 2019. However, he has never appeared in court to this day. Before the trial was supposed to start on January 25, the news of Raghunath resigning from his post stating medical reasons came.
The absence of prosecutors has delayed the trial for the case due to varied reasons. For an incident that took place in February 2018, even finding a fitting prosecutor for the victim has not come easy. Madhu’s family has now alleged that the trial is being delayed intentionally. Madhu’s mother, Malli awaits justice for her son, while she says, “It has been four years since my son was lynched. We don’t know why the trial has not started. We just want justice.” Malli while speaking to the media about having no idea from whom to demand justice for her son, further said, “They (the police) cite different reasons, which I do not understand. We have no money and influence. All the accused men have been walking freely all these years.”
The Special Investigation Team formed after the incident has drafted a 3,500-page charge sheet in May 2018 while naming a total of 16 persons accused. While the accused have been charged with murder and offences under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, all of them are currently out on bail. Critics are also questioning the CPI(M) govt.’s delay in appointing a permanent public prosecutor to represent Madhu before the court. The Government is also accused of wielding political influence in the case as, Shamsuddin, one of the accused was elected as the CPI(M) branch secretary in September 2021. However, the decision was revoked after much opposition.
