Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader P. Jayarajan voiced his dissatisfaction with the Kerala High Court’s verdict acquitting all but one of the accused in his attempted murder case.
Mr. Jayarajan, speaking to The Hindu, disclosed that he had raised objections to the court proceedings and formally requested Chief Justice A.J. Desai not to let this Bench oversee the case, as outlined in a letter dated December 26.
Highlighting the details of the letter, Mr. Jayarajan pointed out that while accused 1 to 5 and 7 were found guilty, the other three accused (6, 8, and 9) were acquitted of all charges. He noted that the State had filed an appeal against the acquittal of three accused, and the convicted accused had also filed appeals against the judgment.
Expressing frustration over the delays in the legal process, Mr. Jayarajan mentioned that although the criminal appeals were scheduled before Justice P. Somarajan after a significant period, there had been no substantive hearings. But on December 20, 2023, the Kerala High Court published the roster application from January 3, 2024, and therefore the matter is required to be heard by another Bench. However, the matter was reportedly marked as “party heard, without any actual hearing taking place. Therefore, he urged the Chief Justice to ensure that the case is heard promptly, he said.
Mr. Jayarajan called on the State government to appeal against the verdict. He declared his intention to approach the Supreme Court and explore legal avenues to become a petitioner in the case. Additionally, he appealed for calm, underscoring the importance of maintaining peace in response to the verdict.
