Kerala - Kozhikode   

Special prosecutor threatens to quit

Biju Govind

Citing non-availability of competent staff to assist him in Marad case

KOZHIKODE: Citing the non-availability of competent staff to assist him, the Special Prosecutor appointed by the State Government in the Marad case has expressed his intention of quitting the post.

Sources told The Hindu here on Tuesday that the Special Prosecutor P.K. Haridas had written a letter to Inspector General of Police (Crimes) Mahesh Kumar Singla saying that he would be forced to quit the post if he was not provided with a particular police officer who had been assisting him since the trial began less than a year ago.

"I am constrained to insist on having the assistance of V.G. Babu (who had been earlier assisting him in the case) at the earliest and if it is not possible I may be forced to give up this work; the Government can find a substitute," he said in his letter.

It is learnt that Mr. Haridas had also send reminders to the IGP (Crimes) seeking the assistance of Mr. Babu, who was a Circle Inspector with the Kozhikode Crime Branch- Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID).

Now the police officer has been promoted and posted as Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy. SP) at the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery.

The ball was in the court of the State Government, sources said.

In his letter, Mr. Haridas stated that Mr. Babu, a practising lawyer before he joined the Police Department, had been rendering his services to protect the interests of the prosecution. His absence was causing difficulties during the trial.

Stating that he was 70 years of age and that he suffered certain physical discomfitures, Mr. Haridas said that he badly needed an assistant to fulfil his task of the prosecution.

Meanwhile, the former Kozhikode Revenue Divisional Officer P. Balan was examined before the Special Court on Monday and Tuesday. K. Janardhana Kurup, senior lawyer at the High Court, is appearing for the accused.

The trial in the Marad massacre case began at the special court at Eranhipalam on December 20, 2004. Babu Mathew P. Joseph is the Judge of the Special Court.

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