Palakkad: Despite 24 witnesses turning hostile and his family being threatened to back off from the case, Madhu's family got justice on Tuesday when a special court in Palakkad held 14 of the 16 accused guilty of his murder.
Though happy with the verdict, Madhu's mother and sister said all 16 are guilty and that they will file an appeal against the acquittal of the two accused in the case.
"We are happy that people like us, who come from dire circumstances and the lowest rungs of society, were able to get justice in this land. We thank the honourable court for passing a verdict that instils hope in the people regarding the judicial system," said Madhu's mother Malli.
However, Madhu's sister Sarasu stated it cannot be said that he got complete justice. "We suffered a lot of threats, isolation and neglect fighting for the truth. As happy as we are that 14 of the accused were found guilty of his murder, we intend to appeal against the acquittal of the other two. We believe all of them are guilty. For us, the fight is not over yet. We move on with the hope that we'll be able to reach the Supreme Court," said Sarasu.
Meanwhile, the public prosecutor said Madhu's family has gotten the maximum possible verdict favourable to them.
"It was found that the involvement of the acquitted was small compared to that of others. The crime is involuntary manslaughter. A separate verdict was prepared for all 16 of them. All evidence that came before the court was considered," the public prosecutor told the media.
