Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday castigated the Kerala police and the DGP for their failure to hand over the Periya double murder case to the CBI. The state government and the police are duty bound to implement the court order and the action of the DGP amounted to dereliction of duty, it said.
The parents of Sarath Lal and Kripesh, the two Youth Congress activists killed allegedly by the CPM activists, had filed a contempt of court petition in the High Court against the government and the state police citing delay in handing over the investigation to the CBI despite the court order. The petitioners alleged a strategy to destroy the evidence.
The High Court order on September 30 entrusting the probe to the CBI had mentioned that the case diary and other details should be handed over to the central agency.
If more time was required, the DGP should have approached the court for permission. The action of the DGP is dereliction of duty, the court observed. It also stated that if needed, it will ask the DGP to appear before it in person.
The CBI counsel had informed that a request was presented to the DGP to hand over the investigation details and the case diary on October 3, three days after the court verdict. The court posted the case for further hearing on Monday.
