Manichan's wife held, in judicial custody

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, AUG. 1. L. Usha, accused no. 18 in the Kalluvathukkal- Pallikkal-Pallipuram hooch tragedy case, was arrested from a house at Attingal this morning by the police Special Investigation Team (SIT) head constable, Mr. Chandrachoodan, with the help of the Attingal police. Usha is the wife of Manichan, accused no. 7 in the case.

Soon after her arrest, Usha was brought to the Paravur Circle Inspector's office and later produced before the Paravur Judicial First Class Magistrate, Mrs. V.S. Bindukumari, who remanded her in judicial custody till August 18. She has been sent to the District Jail here where her husband and the other accused have been lodged.

Though the trial has been on at the District and Sessions Court for the past two months, Usha remained at large and court process was on to declare her an absconding accused. Attachment orders against her were already issued by the Paravur court.

Though the trial of the case is on at the District and Sessions Court here, Usha will not be produced before the court till the Paravur court chargesheets her in the case.

She was arrested from the house of Mr. Attingal Sreekantan, a former abkari contractor, this morning. The SIT chief, Mr. Siby Mathew, said the arrest followed a tip-off. Police said that Manichan began his career in the abkari field as an employee of Sreekantan.

Usha figures as an accused in the case as she is the licensee for some of Manichan's toddy shops. Moreover, according to the charges filed by the SIT, the property at Chirayinkeezhu from where the SIT sleuths had unearthed 90,000 litres of spirit, allegedly stashed by Manichan in a secret cellar, is as per records in Usha's possession.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Urban Kerala less hospitable to females?
Next     : Catholicos' move on land purchase draws flak