Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Lock-up murder trial takes a crucial turn

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: The Udayakumar lock-up murder trial took a crucial turn on Wednesday with the court arraigning one more officer as an accused in the case.

Sessions Court (Fast Track-III) judge M.R. Anitha on her own (suo motto) ordered that Raveendran Nair, Sub-Inspector, be included as a suspect in the custodial death case.

Raveendran Nair was the Sub-Inspector of Police (Crime) when the Fort police arrested Udayakumar on the charge of theft on September 27, 2005. Udayakumar died in custody the same day. The autopsy report said he had died of crush injuries inflicted on the thigh using a blunt instrument, probably an iron rod.

The Crime Branch had slapped charges of murder, custodial torture and illegal detention against three police constables — Jitha Kumar, Sreekumar and Soman. Raveendran Nair was not arraigned as accused in the case, though he was the officer who prepared the register of arrest on the charge of theft against Udayakumar and Suresh Kumar (another suspect who was arrested the same day along with the Udayakumar).

During the course of the investigation, the Crime Branch “referred” the theft case (Crime 7003/2005) registered against Udayakumar and Suresh Kumar.

Mr. Vijayan argued that the development “interalia meant” that a false case was registered against them. “It is a fresh fact relevant to the case and further investigation is necessary,” he said.

The lock-up murder of Udayakumar was “interlinked and connected” to the “false case of theft” registered against him and Suresh Kumar.

(Suresh Kumar, a key prosecution witness in the case had turned hostile along with six other prosecution witnesses, five of them policemen, during the course of the trial. The Opposition had raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly, accusing the Government of derailing the investigation. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the House that the Government had detected certain grave flaws in the investigation and remedial measures would be taken with the sanction of the court and in the interest of justice).

Mr. Vijayan sought the court’s sanction for further investigation, the possible involvement of other persons in the commission of the crime, its abetment, conspiracy, causing disappearance of evidence and creation of false evidentiary material.

Several important documents relevant to the case, such as the note books of the accused officers, had not been taken into account, he said. The court will hear the plea of the defence side on July 24.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

A comprehensive travel guide
Presidential poll
Administrative panel
Cabinet approval for phase 2 of Jalanidhi
Chikungunya patients to get medicines free
Information network for fishermen soon
Vigilance probe mooted into PWD works
BJP demands suspension of Assembly session
Assembly complex premise to sport a green touch
Minister calls for stringent laws
Government plans to raise paddy production
Lock-up murder trial takes a crucial turn

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu