In Brief
The appellant, widow of a murdered witness in a 1995 case, sought transfer of the trial from Hosur to Salem. The accused, an ex-MLA with alleged control over 15 villages, faced charges including murder and police collusion in suppressing his identity. Sixteen of twenty-one examined witnesses had turned hostile, including official witnesses. The High Court refused transfer, but the Supreme Court allowed both appeals, holding that the accused's influence, witness intimidation pattern, and the death of a prior witness created reasonable apprehension of unfair trial. Transfer to Salem was ordered to ensure justice is seen to be done.
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