KOCHI: The Kerala high court on Wednesday issued a stay on telecasting the serial allegedly based on Koodathayi serial murders .

Justice Ashok Menon issued a stay after considering during admission hearing a petition (WP-C No. 1703/2020) filed by Mohemmed alias Bava of Koodathayi in Kozhikode, who is one of the witnesses, through advocate PN Sukumaran. The court has also sought the views of the state government, police, and Flowers TV, which is airing the television serial.

Seeking a ban on the serial and the movies proposed to be made on the basis of the serial murders, the petitioner had alleged that witnesses are being wrongly portrayed and that investigation will be affected.

During the hearing, senior public prosecutor Suman Chakravarthy informed the court that investigation into three of the six murders are not yet complete and telecasting of the serial would sway the witnesses, which would affect the rights of prosecution as well as the accused. Airing of the serial may also amount to interference to administration of justice, the senior prosecutor submitted. Considering the submissions of the prosecutor and the petitioner’s counsel, the court issued a stay for two weeks.

Koodathayi incident relates to the case registered by Kodenchery police in October last year against Jollyamma Joseph alias Jolly Thomas and others in relation to the deaths of her in-laws and their close relatives, totaling to six murders.

According to the petition, Flowers TV has been broadcasting a serial, titled ‘Koodathayi: The Game of Death’, relating to the murders since January 13th. Though a disclaimer is shown while the serial is being telecast, the characters and the story resemble the real persons involved and the witnesses, the petitioner has alleged. Some film makers and directors are also making movies out of the murders, the petition had said.

Persons residing in the locality can easily identify the resemblance of the characters. After the serial began broadcasting, many persons have asked him regarding his role and advised him not to pursue the prosecution as he has been picturized badly in the serial, the petitioner had alleged while stating that witnesses in the cases are facing much humiliation and threat.

The views in the serial adversely affects the entire fabric of the case and they have no right to cause any impediment to the investigation, the petition had stated while seeking a ban on the serial and also on making of any movies based on the murders.

