A trial court in Kerala on Wednesday ordered an eyewitness to get his vision tested, as he claimed he couldn’t see anything. Reportedly, the witnesses to a tribal man’s lynching continued to be hostile and was said to be influenced by the accused in the case.
The trial court was hearing the case of the February 2018 lynching of 28-year-old Madhu at Attappadi tribal village in Palakkad district. The tribal man was attacked after he was accused of stealing rice from a shop.
So far, 16 witnesses in the case turned hostile, and there were allegations that the accused were influencing them, using money. Though the trial court recently cancelled the bail of 12 accused following reports of influencing witnesses, the high court stayed it.
On Wednesday, the 29th witness in the case, Sunilkumar turned hostile during the trial at the special court dealing with SC/ST atrocities cases.
Sunilkumar, who earlier gave a statement to the police that he had witnessed the accused attacking Madhu, told before the court that he did not see anything like that. While the prosecution produced video footage of the incident, in which Sunilkumar was seen at the spot, he stated that he could not see the video.
Subsequently, the special judge ordered a vision test for him. He was taken to the district hospital and subjected to vision testing. The result would be considered by the court on Thursday.
Another witness also turned hostile during the day.
Madhu’s family and tribal rights activists had expressed serious concern over witnesses turning hostile in the case. Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan recently visited Madhu’s mother Malli and sister Sarasu at their house and offered his support.