Kerala - Kochi   

Custodial deaths: Government for judicial probe

Staff Reporter

High Courtround-up

Kochi: The State Government on Thursday informed a Division Bench of the High Court that the Government was actively contemplating an inquiry by a district judge into the custodial deaths that took place recently in the State.

Director General of Prosecutions (DGP) P.G. Thampi made the submission before a Bench comprising Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice V. Ramkumar when a writ petition filed by Shabeer, a lawyer seeking CBI inquiry into as many as 10 custodial deaths, came up.

He submitted that the Government was very much concerned about the deaths. He informed the court that higher police officials had inquired into the deaths and found that there was no torture on the part of the police. In fact, as per the new provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, the magistrate concerned had conducted an inquiry and prepared a report.

Pleas dismissed

Justice K.R. Udayabhanu on Thursday dismissed the pleas made by two accused in the case relating to the ragging and rape of a student at a nursing school at Kottayam to lift one of the conditions set by the court while granting bail.

The two accused students of the School of Medical Education (SME), Institute of Nursing, Kottayam, Robin Paul and S. Sherin sought to lift the condition that they should not enter the college or hostel until the trial was over except with the permission of the magistrate.

The petitioners pointed out that in case this condition was not lifted they would not be able to attend classes.

The petitioners also said that if they were found to be innocent after the trial, they would not be able to retrieve the lost opportunity. They said that the parent-teachers association had passed a resolution revoking their suspension and reinstating them in the college. In fact, it was not likely that the trial would be over in the near future.

When the petition came up, the Prosecutor had opposed the pleas and contended that if the petitioners were allowed entry into the college, there would be law and order problem and the possibility of the witnesses being threatened and influenced could not be ruled out. The trial would be vitiated, if the condition was lifted.

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