Seven eyewitnesses testify in Abhimanyu murder trial

On October 17, the prosecution concluded the chief examination of seven eyewitnesses in the Abhimanyu murder trial held in the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. The defense will take over on October 22 for cross-examination. All 16 accused were present, donning matching attire, face masks, and caps during the trial, which continued for the third day in a row.

Following the courtroom session, they were required to remove the masks and caps. Four witnesses were examined on Saturday, with four more scheduled to testify on October 22. The witnesses testified that the accused created disturbances during the preparations for the freshers' reception on the college campus. The dispute arose over graffiti painted by the Campus Front, a student wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), on a wall designated for the Students Federation of India (SFI).

The tension culminated in the stabbing of Abhimanyu, a second-year BSc Chemistry student and SFI unit secretary at Maharaja’s College. The eyewitnesses described the accused as wearing white shirts and dhotis, with similar hairstyles, and without beards. This change in appearance made it challenging to identify the accused. The fourth witness identified all 16 accused, while the fifth, sixth, and seventh witnesses identified the key accused.

Photographs of the college campus, including the designated SFI graffiti wall and the Campus Front graffiti, were shown to the court. The fourth witness identified all these items as well. The examination of all 156 witnesses is ongoing without interruption, except on holidays, and is expected to conclude by November 12. The charge sheet was filed in 2018, and Abhimanyu was allegedly stabbed to death on July 2, 2018, during clashes between SFI and Campus Front activists following a dispute over graffiti.