The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the police to file in a sealed cover the details of the materials connecting criminal lawyer C.P. Udayabhanu with the case relating to the murder of a real estate broker in Thrissur. The court made it clear that before proceeding further against the lawyer, the details should be reported to the court. The court issued the order on an anticipatory bail petition filed by C.P. Udayabhanu, apprehending his arrest in connection with the case.
(A case was registered and eight persons were arrested after Rajiv, a real estate broker from Angamaly, was found murdered at an uninhabited building near his farmland near Pariyaram on Friday. Rajeev’s son Akhil has alleged involvement of Mr. Udhayabhanu in the murder of his father. He alleged that ‘Chakkara’ Johny and Mr. Udhayabhanu had threatened to kill Rajeev.)
The court observed that it appeared that one of the accused had some contact with the petitioner over the phone.
If a lawyer was prosecuted just because an accused had contacted him over the phone, every criminal lawyer would have to be prosecuted. The police were cautioned that mere knowledge of conspiracy would not make a conspirator as observed by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the police said CCTV footage collected from Rajeev’s house showed that Udhayabhanu had visited his house many times.