The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Veerappan killing: HC seeks report within a month

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 08, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Veerappan killing: HC seeks report within a month

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB. 7. The Madras High Court today directed a revenue official, probing the circumstances surrounding the encounter killing of forest brigand Veerappan and three others on October 18, to complete the enquiry and submit the report within a month.

Justice K.P. Sivasubramaniam gave the direction on a writ petition filed by Veerappan's wife Muthulakshmi seeking re-post-mortem and to entrust the last case against the brigand and his associates to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The Judge also directed the Inspector of Police concerned to take on file the complaint from her after the completion of the inquiry.

In her petition, Ms. Muthulakshmi alleged that though a criminal case was registered against Veerappan and his three associates under Indian Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act, her complaint against the Special Task Force personnel, including its chief, was not accepted by the police. She wanted the STF personnel involved in the encounter to be prosecuted for murder.

Admitting the plea, Mr. Justice Sivasubramaniam transferred it to a Division Bench for further hearing, stating that already a Bench of the court had gone into some of the issues raised by Ms. Muthulakshmi and rendered certain findings.

As for her prayer to entrust the probe with the CBI, the Judge said that since Ms. Muthulakshmi herself had taken part in the RDO proceedings it would be desirable to await the outcome of the enquiry.

Ordering notice to the Director-General of Police, the Home Secretary and the Chennai City Commissioner of Police, Mr. Justice Sivasubramaniam said there was no justification for prolonging the RDO inquiry. He said: "Already more than three and half months had passed and there is no justification for such a prolonged inquiry. It must be concluded at the earliest." He then directed the RDO, Dharmapuri, to complete the inquiry and submit his report to the Government within a month from today.

Though on February 4 the Judge directed the police to take Ms. Muthulakshmi's complaint on file and register it in the mean time, it was modified today after senior counsel for the Government, K.T.S. Tulsi, made some submissions opposing registration of a case when the RDO probe was still pending. He said there was a specific bar on two simultaneous, parallel investigations on the same issue. However, counsel for the petitioner, Sankarasubbu, argued that the Police Standing Order provided for such proceedings, and that Ms. Muthulakshmi's plaint could be treated as a counter-case.

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