Koodathayi case: Second accused moves discharge petition

Kozhikode: M.S. Mathew, second accused in the Koodathayi murder case, has moved a discharge petition stating that the chargesheet filed in three of the murder cases does not stand. 

Advocate M Shahier Singh, who appeared on behalf of Mathew in court, pointed out that the prosecution has failed to prove that the accused used cyanide to murder Tom Thomas, Alphine and Mathew Manchadiyil. The tests conducted in forensic labs in Kerala and Hyderabad failed to verify the presence of cyanide in the bodies of the deceased. Citing this, Mathew filed the discharge petition. 

The court will consider the petition on February 3. 

The Case

In a span of 14 years, six members of a family at Koodathayi in Kozhikode were killed under similar circumstances. A retired employee of the education department Ponnamattam Tom Thomas, wife retd. teacher Annamma, son Roy Thomas, Annamma’s brother Mathew Manchadi, Tom Thomas’ nephew’s wife Sili, and her one-year-old daughter Alphine had died in similar circumstances, but years apart. Later Roy Thomas' wife Jolly and Sili's husband Shaju got married.

Jolly, her friend Mathew M S, a jewellery employee and Mathew’s friend Prajikumar were later arrested by the police. Mathew and Prajikumar were arrested for allegedly delivering cyanide to Jolly to commit the murders.