Muttil case: Supreme Court moves cheating case to court to hear tree felling case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) granted the request of Roji Augustin, an accused in the Muttil tree felling case, to hear the tree felling case and the cheating case in the same court.

A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran ordered that the Chottanikkara court cheating case be transferred to the Sulthan Bathery court where the main case is being heard.

The Supreme Court said the cheating case could be considered only after the trees are felled. The accused petitioner, represented by senior advocate R. Basant and advocate P. Vishnu, approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay of the trial at Chottanikkara. The State was represented by Senior Advocate MR Ramesh Babu and Advocate Aljo K. Joseph.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court refused to stay the legal proceedings against Mr Augustin. He and his brothers, Jose Kutty Augustine and Anto Augustine, have been arraigned as accused in the case, which is being tried in the Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam.

The prosecution case is that the accused persons cheated MM Aliyar, owner of Malabar Timber Industries, Karimugal, Ernakulam district, of ₹1.4 million by offering to sell him timber.

Published – 22 Sep 2026 21:58 IST