MP plea for longer term for accused

Filed under Section 377 of CrPC,the state government has argued that not all deaths occurred simultaneously and so each death should be counted as a separate offence.

This was one of the recommendations of the six-member legal panel headed by Additional Solicitor General Vivek Tankha. The state government accepted all the recommendations of the panel formed a couple of days after the trial court’s verdict.

The state government also filed a revision plea under Section 397 (calling for records to exercise powers of revision) in the same court. The section empowers the Sessions Court to call and examine records of proceedings before an inferior court to satisfy itself about the correctness,legality or propriety of any finding.

The court will decide on the admissibility of the pleas on Wednesday. Deputy Director,Prosecution,Satish Dinkar,who filed the pleas,said if the CBI which was the prosecuting agency files similar appeals,the court could merge them.

The court on Wednesday also admitted the appeals filed by the seven accused challenging the trial court’s judgment. The defence lawyers had moved bail pleas of all the accused but the court said it would decide them on merit on Wednesday.

Keshub Mahindra’s lawyers while seeking bail argued that he being the non-executive chairman had no criminal liability. His lawyers also sought bail on grounds of Mahindra’s old age and

ill health.