The drama around Jayalalithaa's infamous Kodanad estate dacoity and murder case took a new turn on Friday, November 28, 2025. Two under-trials and main accused, K.V. Sayan and ‘Walayar’ Manoj, were acquitted by the Additional Mahila Court Judge, S. Sozhiya, in Udhagamandalam. The judges' decision cleared them in a side case from 2019 that accused them of threatening a witness. Lawyers Thambi Nihas and David Kamal, representing the duo, said the entire 2019 charge was a mistake. “The case was falsely registered against them both by the police who wanted them to be detained under the Goondas Act,” claimed Mr. Nihas while speaking to journalists outside the Combined Court Complex in Udhagamandalam. The police had charged Sayan and Manoj on February 1, 2019, with criminal trespass (Section 447), criminal intimidation (Section 506(i)), and under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act (Section 4). Later, police dropped the trespass charge but continued with intimidation allegations. However, the court found no solid proof in this case. Because of the lack of evidence, Judge S. Sozhiya gave a clean chit to both Sayan and Manoj. But don’t think the road is clear yet! Both men are still under trial for the bigger and more serious Kodanad dacoity and murder case that has gripped public attention for years. This acquittal brings a small ray of hope for the accused in the long, complex saga tied to the legendary former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa. People are watching closely as this high-stakes legal battle continues to unfold.