Kochi: The Kerala High Court has ordered to provide police security for the lawyers appearing for the accused in the murder case of BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan.
However, the HC did not allow the petitioners’ plea to transfer the trial to the Kottayam sessions court.
After the accused sought time to find lawyers, the court directed to defer the trial by one month. The trial was scheduled to begin this month.
Justice A Ziyad Rahman pronounced the order after considering a petition filed by accused Nyzam, Ajmal and 13 others.
The HC has directed the Alappuzha district police chief to deploy sufficient police force at the premises of the Mavelikara court during the trial for the lawyers to contest the case without any fear.
Ranjith Sreenivasan was murdered allegedly by Popular Front workers in Alappuzha on December 19, 2021. The accused had filed a petition stating that as Ranjith Sreenivasan was an advocate at the Alappuzha bar, the lawyers in Alappuzha were not cooperating to contest the case on their behalf. The case was then transferred to the Mavelikara additional sessions court.
However, the accused again approached the court with a plea to transfer the trial to the Kottayam sessions court by claiming that even the lawyers at the Mavelikara court were not cooperating. They also contended that some lawyers were willing to appear on their behalf, but had expressed security concerns.
But the mother of the slain Ranjith Sreenivasan opposed the change of court. The prosecution said that if there were security issues, it was possible to deploy the police force.
The court also pointed out that transferring the trial to Kottayam would be a hassle for the witnesses, who are natives of Alappuzha. As per the case, the murder was a fallout of the political and religious animosity between two outfits in the state. In such a scenario, the petition seeking to ensure security for lawyers appearing for the accused cannot be rejected, the court further stated.
