CBI files charge sheet in Muthoot scion murder case

CBI today filed two charge sheets in the case relating to the brutal murder of flamboyant Kerala businessman Paul Muthoot George, the scion of the multi crore Muthoot M George group, on August 21 last year and has listed 28 accused in total.

The CBI has filed two charge sheets -- for the murder and another case for destruction of evidence. There are 14 accused in each of the two cases.

The charge sheets were filed before the Ernakulam chief judicial magistrate court in Kochi this evening.

As per the charge sheet in the murder case, the first accused Jayachandran, a goonda leader from chengnacherry and second accused Kari sateeshan had stabbed Paul on the fateful day following sudden provocation. Seven of the accused have turned approvers.

Om prakash and Puthampalan Rajesh, who were the 24th and 25th accused in the police case, have been made witnesses by the CBI. The two were travelling with Paul in the vehicle when he was fatally attacked.

Police had at first probed the high profile case and filed the charge sheet which was rejected by the court here. The case was then handed over to the CBI by the Kerala high court following a plea by Paul's father George M Muthoot, chairman of the Muthoot group.

While the police charge sheet had stated that an 'S' shaped knife had been used to stab Paul, the CBI charge sheet says another knife was used to stab the victim. The knife was recovered from Manancherry at Alapuzha.

The Muthoot group is multi crore conglomerate which is into gold loans, hospitality and stockbroking businesses among others.