The District Principal Sessions Court in Wayanad on Tuesday concluded the final hearing in the high-profile Muthanga case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), reserving its verdict for July 31. The judgment will bring to a close more than two decades of legal proceedings arising from one of Kerala’s most significant and controversial tribal rights movements.
The case relates to the violent clashes that took place on February 19, 2003, during the eviction of landless tribal families who had occupied forest land at Thakarappady in the Muthanga Forest Range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The occupation was carried out under the banner of the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha (AGMS), with tribal families asserting their traditional rights over the land.
The confrontation resulted in the deaths of police constable Vinod and tribal activist Jogi, while hundreds of tribal protesters and several police personnel sustained injuries. The incident sparked widespread public debate and remains one of the most closely followed cases in Kerala’s legal and political history.
The Muthanga incident drew national and international attention, with political leaders, writers and human rights organisations alleging that the police had used excessive force during the eviction operation. Allegations of atrocities against tribal women and children further intensified criticism of the government’s handling of the situation.
According to the prosecution, violence broke out after tribal families refused to vacate the occupied forest land during the eviction drive. The situation escalated when police constable Vinod was allegedly taken hostage by protesters at Gowdanvayal, near Thakarappady. Police subsequently used plastic and rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse the crowd and rescue the constable. The operation ended with the deaths of both Vinod and tribal activist Jogi.
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Following widespread controversy over the police action, the then United Democratic Front (UDF) government led by former Chief Minister A. K. Antony handed over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an independent probe.
The prosecution had completed its final arguments earlier, while the court spent the past four days hearing detailed submissions from the defence. On Tuesday, the court also permitted CBI Special Public Prosecutor Adv. Boby Joseph to present rebuttal arguments responding to the defence’s claims before concluding the hearing.
During the final arguments, counsel for the accused, Adv. T. M. Rasheed, challenged the prosecution’s version of events. He argued that both Jogi and constable Vinod were killed inside the same temporary shed at Gowdanvayal during the eviction operation and at approximately the same time. According to the defence, there were significant inconsistencies regarding the circumstances surrounding their deaths, and the prosecution had failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt how the two victims died or who was responsible.
The defence further questioned the reliability of witness testimonies and disputed the sequence of events presented by the prosecution. The CBI, however, maintained that the evidence placed before the court clearly established the involvement of the accused in the offences charged and supported its case.
With arguments from both the prosecution and defence now concluded, the District Principal Sessions Court has reserved its judgment for July 31. The verdict is expected to mark the conclusion of a legal battle spanning 23 years in a case that continues to hold immense significance in the history of Kerala’s tribal rights movement and criminal justice system.
