The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Forged bill case: accused found dead

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Sunday, Dec 30, 2007
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Kerala - Kochi

Forged bill case: accused found dead

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The investigation into a case related to forged bills for purchase of tar suffered a setback as the main accused was found dead at the Chitrapuzha near here on Saturday.

The Hill Palace Police had arrested Rajesh, 36, of Thripunithura on charges of forging bills for contractors to claim money for purchasing tar from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Indian Oil Corporation. The police also recovered nearly 150 forged bills of both the BPCL and the IOC. The case was handed over to the Crime Branch, on the basis of recommendation by the police that the investigation was voluminous and time-consuming. Bills made for various agencies across the State needed to be verified and investigation itself might take one year, the police had said.

Investigation started with Crime Branch Circle Inspector Rajan in charge. The team had summoned the accused for interrogation on December 24. However, no details were obtained on that day and no new documents were collected, said V.S. Raghavan, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch.

The investigation would be slowed down by the death of the accused. Now, the team was planning to procure documents from the BPCL and the IOC for verification.

The team was planning to search the house of the accused, but postponed the visit as the investigating officer left for Sabarimala duty. Rajesh’s brother Mahesh lodged a complaint with the Hill Palace police station on December 26 that his brother was missing.

The police registered a case on the complaint.

The accused was out on bail after his arrest, said Shiju, sub-inspector, Hill Palace station.

The body was found at the Chitrapuzha by 3 p.m. on Saturday. No injury was found during initial examination.

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