A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has ordered a reinvestigation by a police officer in the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police into the case relating to the murder of a migrant worker in Mavelikkara in 2014.
The Bench, comprising Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice M.R. Anitha, passed the directive after acquitting another migrant labourer who was convicted in the murder.
The order was passed while allowing an appeal filed by Sanjay Oraon, the convict, seeking to quash the life imprisonment awarded by the Additional Sessions Court in Mavelikkara.
The prosecution case was that Sanjay had murdered his friend Hajiful Muhammed, alias, Kaliya. The court was of the opinion that the improper, unfair and ineffective investigation had resulted in inculpating the accused in this case who was a close friend of the deceased.
Absolute necessity
Innocent and marginalised migrants were blamed for any and every crime committed in their vicinity. A re-investigation of the case was an absolute necessity to avoid the recurrence of such irresponsible acts from law-enforcing agencies in future, the court added.
The court further observed that the investigating officers did not make any effort to question the two workers from West Bengal who were staying along with the accused. The entire investigation was a farce. There was an inordinate delay in lodging the FIR, which remained unexplained, it observed.
