Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday acquitted the prime accused in the sensational Chekannur Moulavi case. The CBI court had awarded double life term to first accused V V Hamza.
The well-known Islamic scholar and religious reformer from Edapal in Malappuram district had disappeared more than two decades ago. Though it was suspected that he had been murdered, there was no evidence to support this and his body was never recovered. Moulavi had reportedly antagonised a section of fundamentalists due to his views on reforms within Islam.
However, the HC on Monday observed that there was no evidence to prove that Moulavi was dead and that it was merely an assumption that the scholar had been murdered. With this, all accused in the case have been let off.
The CBI court had earlier acquitted eight other accused during the trail. However, the court had convicted Hamza after charges of conspiracy and murder against him were proved.
It was on July 29, 1993, that two people had reportedly taken Maulavi to Kozhikode on the pretext of taking him for a religious discourse. He never returned. The case was first probed by the local police and then crime branch before the CBI took over. Nine accused were arrested.
The arrested even deposed that they had killed the Islamic scholar and buried the body at a hillsite known as Chuvannakunnu. However, the probe officials who dug the spot could not find the body.
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