The Madras High court today admitted the petition filed by the mother of one of the deceased in the 2007 'Dinakaran' newspaper office attack case and ordered issue of notice to the accused and the CBI.
The Madurai bench also condoned the delay in filing a criminal revision plea against acquittal of 17 accused in the 2007 'Dinakaran' newspaper office attack case by a lower court.
The petitioner, Poongodi, mother of Vinothkumar alias Vinodh, who died in the incident, prayed to condone the delay of 1,434 days in filing the petition against the acquittal by Madurai District and Sessions Court.
Justice R S Ramanathan admitted the petition and ordered issue of notice and posted the case for hearing on March 25.
The petitioner said her son was done to death on May 9, 2007 at Dinakaran newspaper office along with one Gopinath, Network administrative officer and Muthuramalingam, security guard.
She said that as she was a victim her case should be heard. She said it also took years for her to recover from the shock following the death of her son. Besides she had financial constraints in filing the revision petition.
Three persons had died and hence she wanted to file an appeal against the acquittal. She got the copy of the judgement on January 22 this year and was filing revision petition now.
The Tamil daily is owned by the Maran brothers-Kalanidhi and former Union Minister Dayanidhi, grand nephews of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
Three employees of the daily were killed in the attack on the office on May 9, 2007, following the publication of a survey which gave an edge to then Deputy Chief Minister and Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin over his brother Union Minister Alagiri to succeed their father.
The case was filed by police and transferred to CBI which named 17 persons, including a DSP, as accused in the case. DSP V Rajaram was accused of failing to take steps to prevent the incident.
The District court had acquitted all the accused on December 9, 2009, saying the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond all reasonable doubt.
The CBI, after a long delay preferred an appeal before the Madurai Bench stating the delay was due to the perusal of its petition by the Law Ministry and special advocate of the ministry which was challenged by Rajaram.
