Within the case of the 2017 heist-murder at Kodanad property, as soon as the summer time retreat of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the Madras Excessive Courtroom on Friday allowed the accused to summon former AIADMK normal secretary V Ok Sasikala and the get together’s present normal secretary Edappadi Ok Palaniswami as defence witnesses.
Justice P Velmurugan delivered the judgment, permitting the revision petition filed by the accused, D Deepu, M S Satheesan, and A Santhosh Sami, towards an earlier classes courtroom ruling that had restricted their plea.
The Kodanad property was the scene of a sensational crime on April 23, 2017, when a bunch of males allegedly broke in, murdered a safety guard, and fled with valuables. The case has been mired in controversy, with allegations of a politically influenced investigation in the course of the AIADMK’s tenure because the ruling get together in Tamil Nadu.
Justice Velmurugan questioned the rationale of the 2021 classes courtroom order that had declined to summon Palaniswami, the then chief minister, citing potential misuse of the judicial course of.
The petitioners argued that examination of key people, together with Palaniswami and Sasikala, was essential to uncovering the reality.
Justice Velmurugan requested in the course of the hearings that since he isn’t the chief minister anymore, “Why can’t EPS be examined as a witness within the Kodanad case?”
The accused additionally sought to summon Sasikala, an in depth aide of the late Jayalalithaa. Sasikala’s kinfolk V N Sudhakaran and J Elavarasi, together with different people linked to the property’s administration and safety, together with former Nilgiris Collector P Shankar and Superintendent of Police Murali Rambha, had been additionally amongst these the accused wished to summon.
Thriller has surrounded the case following the deaths of a number of people related to it, together with C Kanagaraj, Jayalalithaa’s former driver and the alleged mastermind of the heist. He had died in a highway accident days after the heist. Equally, the spouse and daughter of one other accused, Ok V Sayan, died in a separate accident, deepening suspicions of foul play. A pc operator on the property, Dinesh Kumar, was additionally discovered lifeless at his home in Kotagiri.
A chargesheet within the case from September 2017 mentioned a gang of 11 individuals hatched the conspiracy to rob the home. In accordance with the chargesheet the armed gang, allegedly led by Kanagaraj, entered the property and tied up Krishna Thapa, a safety guard. Whereas two accused guarded Thapa, others went to a different gate the place they attacked and killed Om Bahadur, one other safety guard.
In January 2019, the case made nationwide headlines once more when the accused organised a press meet at Delhi Press Membership, alleging that the heist was executed by Kanagaraj. Sayan claimed that Kanagaraj had informed him that the heist was executed on the behest of the then CM Palaniswami to loot money bundles and land paperwork value crores of rupees. However the police had mentioned that solely two wristwatches and a crystal doll went lacking after the heist.
An SIT probe into the case is underway.
