Agali: The police have filed the charge sheet in the case registered in connection with the lynching of tribal youth Madhu at Attapady. All the 16 accused have been charged with murder. Statements of witnesses and results of scientific investigation have been cited as evidence in the charge sheet running to 11,640 pages.
However, there is no reference in the charge sheet to the involvement of Forest department officials in the incident.
Madhu faced a public trial and lynching on February 22. A resident of Pottikkal cave in Mukkali, Madhu was severely beaten up by Mecheriyil Hussain, Kilayil Marakkar, Pothuvacholayil Shamsuddeen, Thazhusseril Radhakrishnan, Viruthiyil Najeem, Mannampattayil Jaijumon, Karikkalil Siddique and Pothuvacholayil Aboobacker, says the charge sheet. Sections dealing murder and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been invoked against the accused.
According to the charge sheet, there were 15 injuries on Madhu’s body which caused his death. As evidence, the police have obtained eight mobile phones with which the accused shot images and videos of the incident. Moreover, statements of 165 witnesses have been included in the charge sheet along with visuals from three CCTV cameras at Mukkali junction and the five vehicles used by the accused as evidence.
Though the Forest department officials were blamed for pointing out Madhu’s cave to the assailants, the charge sheet refutes this charge. As the Forest department has already registered a case over trespassing in the forest, the police have not considered this aspect.
The charge sheet was submitted by the Agali DySP, who is the investigating officer, before the Mannarkad court.
