The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into a case registered in connection with the alleged custodial death of Mathai, a farmer in Ranni in Pathanamthitta district.
Justice V.G. Arun while disposing of a writ petition filed by Sheeba Mol, wife of the deceased farmer seeking a CBI probe into the case, also expressed the hope that the agency would take over the investigation immediately and see that justice would be done to the wife and children of the deceased.
Mathai was found dead in a well on his farm on July 28 after he was taken into custody by the forest officials of Chittar forest station for questioning on destruction of a camera set up by the Forest Department for animal-spotting in the forest.
When the petition was taken up for hearing on Friday, Suman Chakravarthy , Senior Public Prosecutor submitted that the government had no objection to handing over the investigation of the case to the CBI.
‘60 witnesses questioned’
He submitted that the police investigation was on the right track and there were no flaws in the investigation or collection of evidence. As many as 60 witnesses were questioned and their statements recorded. The call details with the tower location of all those involved in this case were taken and the police were in the process of verifying them. In fact, no accused had been named, the Senior Prosecutor added.
In her petition, the wife of the deceased said that the investigation was not fair and there was laxity on the part of the police in collecting evidence. The forest officials were interfering in the police investigation, using their clout among the political and the office-bearers of the forest officers association. She alleged that the forest officials had taken her husband into custody without complying with the mandatory procedure and without explaining any offences allegedly committed by him. Nor any custody memo and inspection memos were prepared by the forest officials when he was taken into custody.
She pointed out that the police were yet to mention any cognizable offence in the FIR. Besides, no efforts had been made to collect evidence in the case. She pointed out that if the investigation was not conducted properly, the flaws in the investigation would affect fair trial of the case. She, therefore, sought a CBI probe into the case.
