The Kerala High Court has directed the State Police Chief to order a probe by the Crime Branch into the arrest and detention of a Keralite who was allegedly entrapped into carrying contraband by an organised gang in Kuwait.
Justice V.G. Arun issued the order on a petition filed by S.J. Cleetus of Ernakulam, the father of the detenue, seeking an investigation into the incident.
According to the petitioner, his son Jomon was undergoing imprisonment in Kuwait following his arrest by the Kuwait police on charge of attempting to smuggle drugs into the country. According to him, Jomon was trapped by a well-organised gang, which lured unsuspecting youth with the offer of employment abroad and used them as conduits for smuggling drugs. He had informed the Excise Department about the incident and helped the department track down the notorious gang. Despite nabbing the gang involved in sending the petitioner’s son to Kuwait with the contraband, no investigation into the specific incident was conducted. When the Indian Embassy was contacted, the petitioner was informed that his son would be released on pardon, if proof of investigation conducted by the agencies concerned in Kerala and evidence regarding Jomon’s innocence was produced before the authorities in Kuwait.
The Central government submitted that all necessary steps for securing pardon for the petitioner’s son would be taken by the authorities, if proof of Jomon’s innocence could be provided, by arresting the actual culprits behind the incident.
