KOZHIKODE: The special court hearing the sensational Marad massacre case has deferred the verdict to Dec. 17 as it could not complete formalities. The verdict was expected last week and security was tightened in the fishing hamlet and nearby areas.
Some 139 persons are on trial for involvement in the killing of eight Hindu fishermen and a Muslim, following communal clashes in May, 2003. The killings followed the January riots in which three Hindus and two Muslims were killed after an altercation over drinking water at the public tap.
The verdict assumes significance in the wake of the recent recommendation of the state government for a fresh federal probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s elite probe agency, into the conspiracy behind the riots and issues such as the involvement of fundamentalist outfits, their foreign connections and source of funding and how they succeeded in secretly stockpiling weapons in the village for use in the riots.
The suspects include the activists of the National Development Front (NDF) that had, according to the initial report by the Crime Branch Inspector General of Police Mahesh Kumar Singhla, infiltrated into the political parties. But he failed to give any evidence before the inquiry commission.
Police who unearthed a huge cache of weapons including crude bombs from the area say it was an operation carried out by a well-knit organization. It was a quick and sudden attack and was over in 10 minutes. One of the attackers was killed during the incident.
The court is expected to declare the names of the persons found guilty of the crime today and the quantum of punishment later.
The entire region is under tight police control. A police station has been opened in the area following the killings. Activities in the communally sensitive village are closely monitored. AK Antony, now defense minister, was the state’s chief minister when killings took place.
District Collector A. Jayathilak recently held a meeting and reviewed the progress of programs that were launched for the development of Marad region. The Marad package includes 3.15 million-rupee drinking water scheme, 2.7 million-rupee power supply project and 5.83 million-rupee project to build a sea wall.
