Kochi, Jul 7 (PTI) A blood-stained towel, considered a key piece of evidence in the murder of NDF activist Mohammed Fazal, has been recovered after it went missing from the custody of the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court, prosecution sources said on Tuesday.
The disappearance of the evidence came to light after the Special CBI Court, where the trial began in May, called for the Material Objects collected by the investigation agency.
The Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court informed the trial court that the towel, kept in a sealed cover in its custody, was missing.
The sealed cover reportedly carried an inscription stating that the towel had been damaged by rodents, sources said.
Following this, the Special CBI Court sought a report from the CJM Court.
Prosecution sources said the CJM Court has now informed the Special CBI Court that the missing evidence has been recovered, though it was not immediately known how or from where it was found.
The towel is considered crucial to the prosecution’s case, as it was allegedly planted near the house of an RSS worker to falsely implicate him and others associated with him in the murder.
The court has posted the case to August 4, sources said.
Fazal (30), a National Development Front (NDF) activist, was hacked to death near a mosque in Thalassery on October 22, 2006.
The investigation was handed over to the CBI following a direction by the Kerala High Court on a petition filed by Fazal’s wife alleging lapses in the state police probe.
The CBI chargesheet named eight CPI(M) members, including party leaders and the current Thalassery MLA Karayi Rajan, as accused. PTI TBA TBA ROH
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