TIRUPUR: A trial court here on Friday acquitted all the 20 accused charged of attacking social activist D Prabhakaran four years ago.
Prabhakaran had complained that he was attacked by 20 people when he attempted to stop them from mining soil illegally from a tank in Puthupalayam village near Thekkalur in Tirupur district in May 2015. The case was being heard in the Tirupur chief judicial magistrate court.
Pronouncing the verdict, judge G Sundararajan acquitted all the accused stating that they were not found guilty of the charges. Prabhakaran told TOI that he would appeal against the verdict.
According to Prabhakaran, he was fighting against sand mafia and had filed a public interest litigation in 2015 to stop illegal
sand mining
in Puthupalayam tank. The
Madras high court had directed the officials concerned to stop illegal sand mining. Prabhakaran had alleged that despite the direction, illegal mining continued as the sand mafia, posing as farmers who were allowed to desilt the tank, were scooping truckloads of soil. When he reached the tank, the sand mafia thrashed him, Prabhakaran had complained.
The Avinashi police registered a case against those named as accused by Prabhakaran under various sections including 147, 294(b), 341, 342, 323, 324, 352, 506(2), and 427 of IPC. Based on a counter complaint, a case was registered against Prabhakaran also, that he tried to hurl kerosene-bomb at the 20 people. The case against Prabhakaran was closed as mistake of fact.
The assault case against the 20, meanwhile, was transferred to CB-CID and came up for hearing before the Tirupur chief judicial magistrate court.
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