Muthoot murder case verdict on Tuesday

A special CBI court here on Monday postponed the pronouncement of the verdict in the sensational Paul Muthoot George murder case till Tuesday.

The verdict that was to come out on Monday did not take place after the court found that three of the 19 accused had not turned up.

The court directed all the accused to be present on Tuesday.

George, 32, was killed under mysterious circumstances near Alappuzha on August 21, 2009 while travelling in a car with Om Prakash and Rajesh, two men who face several criminal cases in the state.

George, a bachelor, belonged to the wealthy Muthoot business family, which is into successful private banking and has numerous other business ventures.

Police first investigated the murder mystery and it was later transferred to the crime branch which arrested 14 people.

Later, George's father sought a CBI probe. The central probe agency took up the case in January 2010.

According to the probe, it was K. Satheesh who stabbed George to death.

The motive of the crime, according to the investigating agency, was sudden provocation by the accused after George's speeding vehicle knocked down a two-wheeler.

The accused and his group of men who saw this followed George and stopped his vehicle and after a verbal duel, George was stabbed to death.