The Kerala High Court has quashed a government order terminating the service of a special public prosecutor appointed by the previous UDF government to conduct the Anjeri Baby murder case.
The court ordered that Siby Chenappady be allowed to conduct the prosecution of the case, now pending before the Thodupuzha Sessions Court. The government had appointed N.K. Unnikrishnan as Special Public Prosecutor after terminating the appointment of Mr. Chenappady in July 2018.
According to the petitioner, the removal of Mr. Chenappady was a politically motivated one. In fact, one of the accused in the case was now a Minister. The UDF-appointed special prosecutor was removed when he was conducting the prosecution diligently.
The court passed the verdict while allowing a writ petition filed by George, brother of Anjeri Baby, challenging the removal of the prosecutor.
The court observed that it was inclined to agree with the assertion of the petitioner that the termination of the appointment was on political consideration. It was clearly evident from the circumstances of the case.
Anjeri Baby, a Youth Congress leader, was murdered allegedly by CPI(M) activists in 1982.