Bail conditions to accused in Kodanad case relaxed

The Madras High Court has relaxed the conditions stipulated by a lower court in Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris district, while granting bail to two accused in the Kodanad murder and heist case.Justice N Sathish Kumar granted the relief while passing orders on a criminal original petition from Dhanabal and Ramesh on July 20.Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the submissions made by the counsel on either side, the condition already imposed on the petitioners to stay in Ooty and sign before the respondent police every Monday is modified, the judge said.

The Madras High Court has relaxed the conditions stipulated by a lower court in Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris district, while granting bail to two accused in the Kodanad murder and heist case.

Justice N Sathish Kumar granted the relief while passing orders on a criminal original petition from Dhanabal and Ramesh on July 20.

''Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the submissions made by the counsel on either side, the condition already imposed on the petitioners to stay in Ooty and sign before the respondent police every Monday is modified,'' the judge said. They should report before the respondent police (Additional Superintendent of Police in Sholurmattam), at 10.30 a.m. on the first and 15th of every month until further orders,'' the judge added.

He also made it clear the police cannot take the petitioners into custody under the pretext of investigation.

The petition sought to quash an order dated June 24 this year passed by the Sessions Judge of the Nilgiris at Udhagamandalam, which stipulated that they should stay in Ooty and face the trial. Petitioners' counsel submitted there is life threat to them in Ooty and the police, on the pretext of investigation, were taking the petitioners to Salem police station without informing the local police. For the other accused, already this condition had been modified. Therefore, he sought the modification of the condition in its entirety. In 2017, the security guard of a posh bungalow used by late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was found murdered and some articles had gone missing from there.