The verdict in Riyas Moulavi murder case, which was scheduled for today, has been postponed to March 20.
Mohammad Riyas Maulavi, a native of Kodagu district in Karnataka, who was a teacher in the Pazhaya Churi Madrasa in Kasaragod, was killed by RSS workers in the early hours of March 20, 2017.
They broke into the living room of Maulavi inside the Masjid and killed him by slitting his throat.
Three men affiliated with the Hindutva outfit from Kelugudde, Ajesh alias Appu, Nithinkumar and Akhilesh alias Akhil, were arrested after three days.
The investigation team had stated in the charge sheet submitted to the court that the accused had murdered with an ulterior motive to create communal tension. The accused have been in jail for seven years as they have not been granted bail yet.
During the trial of the case, the court examined 97 witnesses. 215 documents and 45 pieces of evidence were submitted to the court.
The case was investigated by a team headed by Inspector P.K. Sudhakaran under the supervision of then-Kannur Crime Branch Superintendent Dr. A. Srinivas.
The investigation was completed within 90 days and the charge sheet was submitted to the court. In 2019, the trial of the case started in the District Principal Sessions Court.
The case hearing was adjourned several times earlier due to COVID and the transfer of judges.
District Principal Sessions Court Judge KK Balakrishnan, who hears the case currently, was supposed to pronounce the verdict today. To date, a total of seven judges had already heard the case.
With Lok Sabha elections on the way, legal experts suggest that the pronouncement of the verdict might get adjourned again.
