Ooty court tells 2 Kodanad accused to appear on Jan 29

On a plea by the police seeking to cancel the bail granted to them, which came up for hearing on Friday, District Judge P Vadamalai directed them to appear before the court on that day.

The government pleader submitted that the duo was hampering the probe by giving statements on the case.

When the counsel for the accused pleaded for more time to present their counter, the judge refused to cancel the bail and ordered the duo to appear before it on January 29.

The state government moved the Court seeking to cancel the bail after former Tehelka journalist Samuel Mathew had released a video in which both Manoj and Sayan had allegedly linked Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to the break-in and the murder at Kodanad Estate, owned by late AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa, in 2017.

A total of 10 people were arrested in the case and a chargesheet was also filed in the case.

After the release of the video, the Tamil Nadu police arrested them at New Delhi and produced before a Magistrate Court in Chennai which refused to remand them in judicial custody and also granted bail, following which they were released.

A few days later, as per the court conditions, they came from Kerala and executed the bail conditions, following which the government filed a plea in the Udhagamandalam District court.