Madras HC stays trial against boy who murdered teacher
The trial in the sensational murder of school teacher Uma Maheshwari, who was stabbed by a class 10 student inside the classroom on February 9, was stayed by the Madras high court on Thursday after the boy's father alleged lapses in the juvenile justice board (JJB) proceedings. Vacation judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan granted the interim stay till June 8 after the boy's father sought transfer of trial to some other JJB or before some other presiding officer.
The trial commenced at the JJB here on May 28. The murder took place at St Mary's Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School at Broadway. Senior counsel R Shanmugasundaram, representing the boy's father, told the court that the trial commenced without the boy being furnished the full set of chargesheet and other documents. Alleging serious procedural lapses at the JJB, Shanmugasundaram submitted that mandatory requirements stipulated under Sections 207 and 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure had been violated.
Though the two sections made it clear that the boy shall be furnished a copy of the police report, statements and other documents, the board furnished only portions of the chargesheet and other documents in two instalments, he said.