Muttil tree-felling case: Kerala High Court dismisses Roji Augustine’s plea to stay trial
Court directs him to approach trial court – Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam – on the matter
The Kerala High Court has rejected a plea by Roji Augustine, one of the accused in the Muttil tree-felling case, to halt the trial proceedings. Roji Augustine, along with his brothers Jose Kutty Augustine and Anto Augustine, had been charged with cheating M. M. Aliyar, the owner of Malabar Timber Industries, out of ₹1.4 crore by selling him timber from illegally felled trees.
The court dismissed the plea and instructed the accused to proceed with their case before the Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam. The brothers were previously ordered to appear in court for framing of charges, but they did not show up and sought an extension. The prosecution alleges that the accused cheated Aliyar by refusing to return the advance payments or produce valid permits, despite his repeated requests.
The Forest department eventually confirmed the illegal sale and confiscated the timber. The court upheld the cheating charge but dismissed the charge under IPC Section 406, which pertains to criminal breach of trust. The accused argued that no permit was needed for the timber's transportation and sale, but the court rejected this claim, stating that the Forest department's investigation proved they had no authority to transport or sell the timber.
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