KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the state government to file a progress report on the inquiry into the death of actor Kalabhavan Mani.The court issued the order on a petition by Mani’s brother R L V Ramakrishnan seeking a CBI probe into his brother’s death.
The court also sought the CBI’s view. The petition submitted the state police were not conducting a fair and effective investigation into Mani’s death. While the state decided to hand over the case to the CBI, the state police surprisingly filed a final report before the Magistrate Court, Chalakkudy, stating that Mani’s demise was not a case of homicidal poisoning, it said.
“The report of the chemical examiner, however, established beyond doubt that besides ethyl and methyl alcohols, an insecticide chlorpyrifos was found in Mani’s viscera. It added that methyl alcohol was a highly toxic and volatile poison,” the petition said, adding, “The concoction of methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol and chlorpyrifos was dangerous and could cause death even if administered to a healthy individual.”
The investigating officers could not have ignored the postmortem report which clea
rly indicated the death was due to chlorpyrifos and methyl alcohol poisoning, continued the petition.
“The poisonous substances can be administered either during a suicide bid or via external aid. Mani had no reason to commit suicide. It is thus evident the police machinery was not interested in finding out the circumstances under which he was poisoned,” it stated. It said the police’s lack of foresight in investigation led to the government’s decision to entrust the investigation to CBI, which meant the police’s duty of investigating the case was over. “The continuation of investigation is to be viewed as a deliberate attempt to ensure the CBI does not take over the investigation,” it said.