Love or Retribution?

Chapter - 34

"Are the defenses ready to present their arguments?", judge asked looking at Subhashini and Saravanan.

"Yes, your honor", they answered in unison.

"Ms. Subhashini, the court has given you enough time to gather the evidence you need to proceed with the case, you can start your arguments now."

"Thank you, your honor, before I get into those evidence, I request your honor to allow me to remind this court, some pertaining things to the original case", Subhashini said with a bow.

"Request granted."

"Your honor, the deceased Mr. Arunkumar, is an IAS officer who worked for the geological survey of India. In India, when a building is constructed, it is the owner's obligation to conduct soil test, but when a public body like a school or hospital is constructed in rural part of the country, sometimes, the government requests a soil and ground study from GSI and that is how Mr. Arunkumar was asked to analyze the ground in which the Little Muffet convent was constructed."

"Objection your honor, relevance?", Saravanan interrupted.

"Sustained, Ms. Subhashini, we all know the purpose of GSI, it will be good if you can get to the case in point rather than beating around the bush", the judge insisted.

"I am getting there your honor, I promise, you will find the relevance."

"Then, get there soon, my patience is running out."

"Yes, your honor"

"Unfortunately, before Mr. Arunkumar could submit his assessment to the relevant authorities, he was murdered."

"The school went up as planned and 8 years later, 3 kids died of methane poisoning", Subhashini said and paused letting her narration to sink in.

"Objection, your honor, still waiting on that relevance, this Little Muffet convent case is age old one and has been closed as principal's negligence and not methane poisoning and still how is it all connected to Mr. Thomson?", Saravanan interrupted.

"Thank you, Mr. Saravanan, for brining that up.", Subhashini said and looked at the judge.

"Your honor, in order to establish Mr.Thomson's motive, we need to establish certain facts or so to say correct certain facts pertaining to the Little Muffet convent case and I request this court to indulge me a little out of good faith"

"Objection! Your honor, Ms. Subhashini is trying to beat around the bush and waste this court's time, there is no relevance between the two cases at all", Saravanan argued.

"There is a huge connection your honor, both cases are totally interconnected, I just ask permission from this court to prove it", Subahshini argued back.

"Okay Ms.Subhashini, this court will give you little rope to state or prove your facts but make sure you don't hang yourself and your client with it, what do you want from this court now?", the judge.

"I would like to call upon, Mr. Farooq, as my first witness."

Mr. Farooq moved to the stand and bowed to the court.

"Mr. Farooq, can you state your occupation to this court, please", Subhashini asked.

"My name is Farooq and I am the director of GSI, south division."

"Mr. Farooq, can you explain to me and the court, what this document is?", she asked and gave bunch of papers to Farooq and another two sets to the judge and Saravanan.

"This is a soil test performed by our late geologist Mr. Arunkumar 20 years back, on the said ground, it says there is immense Methane mixed in soil and ground water, which makes this soil and ground not fit for establishments like school, hospitals or housing"