KOCHI: The High Court on Friday directed the government to inform the court about the progress of the investigation into suspicious death of the inmates of Sanjeevani Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centre at Karukachal in Kottayam.Justice V G Arun issued the order on the petition filed by Fr Jacob Vattakkattu, director of the centre, seeking a probe into the deaths by an officer not below the rank of a DySP.
The petitioner alleged lapses by the police in conducting a proper probe into the death of five inmates. Tom Jose Padinjarekara, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the unnatural deaths occurred due to the acute toxicity of the drug Gold Pride 200. He said three other unnatural deaths occurred at Jeevan Jyothi Ashram in Kottayam during the same period after the drug was administered. The petitioner also sought a directive to send the drug to a government lab to test its acute oral toxicity.