Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Superintendent of Observation Home, Kozhikode, to take steps to enable the admission of the five accused juveniles in the Shahabas murder case in other schools.
The Station House Officer, Thamarassery, was also directed to provide adequate protection and assistance to the petitioners as well as the Superintendent of the Observation Home.
A bench of Justice Bechu Kurien Thomas passed the order to enable the five accused’s admission to Class 11 in their allotted schools.
It was stated in the application that the juveniles had been allotted to three different schools for Class 11.
“Having heard the counsel for the petitioners as well as the learned Public Prosecutor and the counsel for the de facto complainant, this court is of the view that the petitioners’ opportunities for education ought not to be restricted, especially since the bail application is being heard by this court and has been reserved for judgment. Thus, the petitioners were granted liberty for a limited period required, on June 5, 2025, for obtaining admission in their respective allotted schools. The authorities of the Observation Home, Kozhikode, were directed to make necessary arrangements either to enable the petitioners’ appearance online during the admission process or to be physically present before the respective schools to obtain admission,” the court said.
Meanwhile, the order of their bail applications has now been reserved.
The High Court, last month, came to the help of these juveniles arrested for involvement in the murder of a minor student in Kozhikode, after their results were withheld by the state government.
Following the intervention of the court, state Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced their Class 10 marks, with all having passed and being cleared for higher studies.
Shahabas, a student of MJ Higher Secondary School, Thamarassery, Kozhikode, succumbed to serious injuries on March 1, after being injured in the fight between the students of his school and Thamarassery GVHSS stemming from a dispute at tuition centre farewell event at the end of February.
Even though the teachers intervened then through a series of WhatsApp messages, the tension escalated, leading to a violent clash near the tuition centre.
Shahabas suffered serious head injuries, which led to his death.
Police pressed murder charges against the five and stated that the accused used weapons, including a truncheon and a nunchaku, for the attack on Shahabas.
Though Shahabas was not a student at the tuition centre, he was called to the venue while running an errand.
Following the attack, he was taken home by a friend. Initially unaware of the attack, his family suspected drug use when they found him in a weak state at home.
Upon learning the truth, he was rushed to Thamarassery Taluk Hospital and later shifted to Kozhikode Government Medical College and Hospital, where he passed away.
The five have been charged with murder, wrongful restraint, unlawful assembly, and voluntarily causing grave injuries.
All five are students since then have been in judicial custody, and also appeared for their examination while in custody.
(IANS)
