The prime accused in the 2017 Kodanad Estate murder-cum-heist case, K.V. Sayan and Valayar Manoj, on Thursday alleged in the Madras High Court that the prosecution was not allowing them to reveal the truth because the crime involves high-profile politicians in power.

Their bail plea came before Justice M. Nirmal Kumar. Senior counsel N. R. Elango said his clients filed petitions under Section 164 Cr.P.C. before a lower court to get their statements recorded. However, the prosecution objected to the recording of such statements.

“I (Accused) have a right to say what exactly happened. I may even plead guilty of the offence, but the prosecution is not letting me speak at all,” the senior counsel said. He pointed out that the alleged offence had taken place in the estate owned by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on the intervening night of April 23 and 24, 2017.

Subsequently, the accused were arrested and let out on bail after a few months. During their bail period, they gave a video interview implicating Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Though another case was booked against them with respect to the interview, it was stayed by the High Court on January 29, 2019, Mr. Elango said.

Thereafter, one more case was booked against them on charges of threatening the witnesses in the Kodanad murder-cum-heist case and on the strength of such allegation, the bail granted to them in the murder was cancelled by the trial court on February 8, 2019. Though they challenged such cancellation, the High Court dismissed their petitions on March 6.

Further, the duo was also detained under the Goondas Act but the High Court quashed their detention orders on November 6, 2019. As they were under incarceration since February last, Sayan had filed a bail petition in April this year but that too got dismissed by the High Court without hearing the counsel on record E. Raj Thilak, the senior counsel said.

On the other hand, Additional Public Prosecutor S. Karthikeyan told the court that the trial in the Kodanad murder case had begun and so far, 32 witnesses had been examined. He sought time to file a detailed counter affidavit objecting to grant of bail to the two accused and the judge granted him time till June 19 after recording submissions made by the senior counsel.