The Madras excessive courtroom on Friday allowed a plea from three accused within the 2017 Kodanad Property heist-murder case to summon former chief minister and AIADMK basic secretary Edappadi Palaniswami and expelled chief VK Sasikala as defence witnesses.
Justice P Velmurugan handed the orders primarily based on a legal revision petition filed by three accused within the case towards an order from 2021 by the principal periods courtroom in Nilgiris district. The decrease courtroom had rejected the plea of the accused to summon 9 folks together with EPS and Sasikala and 7 to be examined as defence witnesses. The decrease allowed the examination solely of one of many 9, Natarajan, the supervisor of the Kodanad property belonging to late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
The excessive courtroom on Friday allowed the examination of all of the remaining witnesses moreover EPS and Sasikala primarily based on the revision plea of the three accused – A Santosh Similar, D Dheebu, MS Satheesan.
The choose stated: “The petitioners have requested to look at Mr Edappadi Ok Palaniswami, which they consider is important to uncovering the reality. The petitioner additional contends that the incident occurred on the bungalow of the previous Chief Minister, Selvi J Jayalalithaa.”
“Throughout her visits to Kodanad, Edappadi Ok Palaniswami, who was serving as a Minister, is prone to have accompanied her. Subsequently, he could also be acquainted with the bungalow. This Courtroom finds the explanations said by the realized counsel to be dependable. Contemplating these details, and within the curiosity of justice with the intention to conduct a good trial, this Courtroom finds that the petitioners’ request can’t be dismissed as vexatious,” the choose stated.
EPS has not been interrogated within the case thus far and has typically stated that the ruling DMK is trying to border him. The Kodanad tea property in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district was Jayalalithaa’s summer time retreat and typically she even functioned from there whereas in workplace.
On the evening of April 23, 2017, a gaggle of 10 males hacked to loss of life Om Bahadur, a safety guard at Kodanad property. They broke into the bungalow and allegedly looted the place. After police made arrests within the case, the trial started In October 2019 within the Nilgiris (district) periods courtroom.
The case has been shrouded in thriller. Per week after the break-in, on April 28, two of the primary accused met with separate highway accidents– C Kanagaraj, Jayalalithaa ‘s driver, died on the spot close to Salem and Ok V Sayan escaped with severe accidents however his spouse and daughter died on the spot whereas they had been on their approach to Kerala.
With PTI inputs
