Muttil tree-felling and fraud cases to be heard in same court; SC accepts Roji Augustine’s demand

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has accepted the demand of accused Roji Augustine seeking trial in the Muttil tree-felling and the fraud cases to be conducted in the same court. The court has directed that the fraud case pending before the Chottanikkara court be transferred to the Sulthan Bathery court, where the main case is being heard.

The Supreme Court directed that the fraud case be considered after the proceedings in the tree-felling case. Roji Augustine, the first accused in the fraud case related to the Muttil tree-felling incident, had approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the trial proceedings before the Chottanikkara court.

The state government informed the Supreme Court that a charge sheet had been filed in the tree-felling case.

Senior advocates R Basant and P Vishnu, appearing for the accused, argued that both cases should be considered together. However, the state government argued that there is a total of 37 cases against the accused and that the evidence in the two cases would have to be recorded separately.