Manoj murder case trial to start on October 30

The Kozhikode Additional District and Sessions Court will start trial sessions of the Payyoli Manoj murder case from October 30 onwards.

On Monday, the Court read out the chargesheet to the 14 among the 15 accused in the case and all the accused denied the charges.

Following the High Court direction that the trial should be completed within four months, the Court was about to begin the hearing immediately. However, the date was extended after considering the convenience of the counsels of the accused, who sought more time to study the case.  Those accused include Payyoli Ajith Kumar,33, Choriyanchal Jithesh, 28, Vadakkayil Biju, 35, Purakkad Kottur Sajith, 31, Chakkileri Nizam,27, Valluparambathu Sanoj, 23, Vadakara Meppayil Sanoob, 23, Ayanikad Nidheesh, 22, Choriyanchal Priyesh, 22, Kambivalappil Sumesh, 26, Kalathil Suneesh, 26, Puliyodu Akhilnath, 21, Meethal Ramsheed, 21, and Padannayil Akhil, 19. One accused Thikkodi Unnikrishnan is still at large.

Additional Public Prosecutor E Raveendranath attended for prosecution. The counsels for the accused include M Asokan, M Shaheer Singh and K K Beena.

The case pertains to the murder of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh(BMS) Payyoli unit secretary Choriyanchalil Manoj. He was hacked by a masked gang, allegedly CPM activists, at Payyoli on February 12 in front of his wife and children and later he succumbed to his injuries at the Government Medical College Hospital. An autorickshaw driver, Manoj had contested in the local body polls as a BJP candidate.