Kochi, 21 August (H.S.):The Kerala High Court has suspended the five-year prison sentences imposed on tribal rights activist M. Geethanandan and three others in a case relating to the alleged attempt to murder a police officer during the Muthanga agitation.

The court passed the interim order while considering appeals filed by Geethanandan, the first accused; Binu, the third accused; Rameshan, the fifth accused; and Anilkumar, the 11th accused. The Kalpetta Sessions Court had sentenced each of them to five years' imprisonment.

Suspending the sentences of all four appellants, the High Court directed each of them to deposit Rs 46,000. The order will enable the accused to secure bail and be released from prison, subject to the stipulated conditions.

The High Court said it would hear detailed arguments on the appeals at a later stage. The prosecution case is that the accused attempted to murder police officer Abdul Salam during the agitation at Muthanga.

During an earlier hearing, the High Court had observed that the Sessions Court's verdict appeared to contain errors that required closer examination. It questioned how a prima facie finding regarding an alleged conspiracy could have been incorporated as part of the trial court's final judgment.

The court had also indicated that the lower court's decision needed to be subjected to careful judicial scrutiny before a final decision was taken on the appeals.

The appellants approached the High Court contending that the charge of attempted murder was legally unsustainable. They argued that the evidence on record did not justify their conviction and sought the complete setting aside of the Sessions Court's verdict.

The suspension of the sentences is an interim relief and does not amount to the acquittal of the accused. The validity of their conviction and the arguments challenging the trial court's findings will be examined when the High Court takes up the appeals for a comprehensive hearing.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman