24 life convicts in Marad riots case surrender

KOZHIKODE: Twenty four accused, who were awarded rigorous life imprisonment by the Kerala High Court in the Marad riots that claimed nine lives more than nine years ago, surrendered before a special court Friday.

The accused surrendered before the Marad Special Court as per the High Court directive in an appeal by the state government included Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader P P Moideen Koya, sources said. Setting aside the trial court order acquitting them for want of evidence, a division bench comprising Justice M Sasidharan Nambiar and Justice P Bhavadasan awarded the life term on August 17. These 24 accused were among the 76 persons, who were let off by the trial court. The bench had also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on them. The others who surrendered were Haris, Shihab, Akbar, Navas, Shamsu, Ali Akbar alias Ali, Shameer, Noushad, Riyaz, Ameer, Shihab, Thajudheen, Subair alias Koyamon, Ashraf, Assainar, Aboobacker, Kunhikoya, Abbas, Ashraf, K Majeed, Moideen Koya, Nazeer and Ashraf. Nine persons were done to death in communal clashes at predominantly fishermen inhabited Marad beach in Kozhikode on May 2, 2003 as a sequel to the first Marad violence in which five persons were killed a year earlier.