HC withdraws order in Melavalavu case

After a litigant in the Melavalavu massacre case failed to appear before the court for a hearing, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday took a serious view of the issue and recalled its interim order that directed the 13 life convicts in the case to stay in Vellore.

The court, in November last year, directed the 13 convicted for hacking to death six members of the Scheduled Caste community in 1997 to stay in Vellore after their release on the basis of good conduct was challenged in the court.

When the case listed before a Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and N. Sathish Kumar came up for hearing, party-in-person advocate P. Rathinam did not appear for the hearing. The court said it was therefore inclined to recall the order.

The court said the case would be adjourned till March 16 or to any other date decided by the administrative judge of the High Court Bench.