Convictions in Muthanga case require scrutiny, says Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court has expressed concerns that the trial court did not conduct a comprehensive review and definitive conclusion in convicting M. Geethanandan and three others for their roles in the violence associated with the Muthanga land struggle in 2003. The bench, presided over by Justice A. Badharudeen, was hearing appeals from the four accused who disputed the Principal Session’s Court's judgment in relation to the alleged murder attempt of a head constable and the alleged abduction of a forest range officer.

The trial court had sentenced the accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹36,000. The convicts argued that their conviction was legally unsound as it was based on the trial court's finding of 'prima facie' evidence of criminal conspiracy. The court instructed the trial court to send a copy of the charges against the accused for its review.

The incident resulted in the deaths of two individuals - a protester and a police officer - during the police firing and associated violence during the land dispute. The trial court had cleared the appellants of the charges connected with the murder of K.V. Vinod, a police constable who perished during the violence.