HC adjourns appeal by convicts in Dr Subbiah’s murder case

CHENNAI: A division bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday adjourned an appeal to October preferred by the death sentence and life term convicts in the murder of familiar neurologist Dr SD Subbiah on September 14, 2013.

The bench comprising Justice PN Prakash and Justice RMT Teekaa Raman posted the matter to October on hearing the appeals filed by Ponnusamy, P Basil, P Boris, B William, James Satish Kumar, Murugan, and Selva Prakash - all got double death sentence for offenses under Sections 302 and 20B of IPC. Mariyam Pushpam and Yesurajan are the double life-term convicts - have also filed the appeal. The petitioners prayed for a direction to set aside the order of the Additional Sessions Court, Chennai.

Former Patna HC judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash for the appellants sought an adjournment saying that she has taken the case now and needs to study it more. The judges further came down heavily on the appellants for seeking adjournment of the case.

However, the court noted that it is not a good prerogative to seek postponement of cases on the ground that advocates are coming from Guwahati, Mumbai, and Delhi. The court also pointed out that if the cases are adjourned for such reasons, how justice could be rendered to the victims? The judges gave a final chance to the appellants and adjourned the matter to October for hearing the arguments.

It is noted that in a property issue, Dr Subbiah was attacked by a gang in broad daylight in Raja Annamalaipuram in Chennai on September 14, 2013. Subsequently, the doctor died in the attack. On August 4, 2021, the Additional Sessions Court sentenced the double death penalty to seven men and double life imprisonment to Mariyam Pushpam and Yesurajan in the case.