Kodanad case | Accused wants crime scene reviewed, fears ‘disturbances’ due to Sasikala’s visit

Accused in Kodanad dacoity-murder case files petition to inspect crime scene, citing potential disturbance by Sasikala's visit.

One of the accused in the Kodanad dacoity-cum-murder case has filed a petition urging the judge to inspect the site where the incident took place, stating that the recent visit of Ms. Jayalalithaa’s former aide, V.K.Sasikala, could have “disturbed” the scene of the crime.

K. Vijayan, a lawyer representing Jithin Joy, one of the accused in the Kodanad dacoity-cum-murder case filed the petition on behalf of Joy, arguing that the there was a chance of “disturbances to the scene of occurrences” not only due to the visit of Ms. Sasikala, who laid a foundation stone for the construction of a memorial for former Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa at the estate last month, but also by various government departments, including the survey and revenue departments.

Mr. Vijayan said that it was necessary for the court officers to visit the three scenes of occurrences detailed by the prosecution to “avoid confusions, attain an exact picture and to proceed with the case.”

The petition was filed in the district sessions court in Udhagamandalam on Friday, February 9, 2024 during the hearing in the case. The judge hearing the case adjourned the case till February 23, 2024.