The Additional Sessions Court IV, Kottayam, on Wednesday conducted a preliminary hearing into the abduction and death of Kevin P. Joseph, a Dalit Christian from Kottayam, marking the beginning of the trial proceedings in the case.
Special prosecutor C.S. Ajayan argued that there were enough evidences, including documents, statements of witnesses, CCTV footage, telephone call records, and other scientific evidence, to substantiate that the accused prima facie committed the crime.
While even grave suspicion is sufficient to frame the charges, there is enough circumstantial evidence in this case to prove it as an organised murder, he said.
He also argued that the possibility of an accidental drowning could be ruled out as there was little chance for the victim, who knew swimming, to drown in waste-deep water in a stream. “There are strong circumstantial evidences for homicidal drowning, which have been supported by the opinions of the forensic team of the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College. The presumptive thought is that the abductors are the murderers,” Mr. Ajayan held.
Posted for Feb. 22
Following the prosecution’s hearing, judge K.G. Sanal Kumar posted the case for consideration on February 22. The court had earlier ordered to fast-track the trial so as to complete the proceedings in six months.
As per the prosecution, a gang led by Syanu Chacko, brother of Kevin’s fiancee Neenu Chacko, abducted Kevin from his house at Gandhi Nagar to Thenmala on May 28 night last year and chased him to a stream at Chaliyakkara with an objective to kill him.
There are 14 accused in the case. Prosecution also produced about 180 documents, 176 witnesses, DNA test results, records of phone calls, and three vehicles as evidence.