KOCHI: The Kerala High Court today directed the state police to produce all documents relating to the investigation into the mysterious death of Ezhava spiritual leader Swami Saswathikananda 13 years ago.
Hearing a petition seeking further investigation into the death, the court also directed the police to file a statement on the probe. Justice B Kamalpasha passed the interim order on the petition by Palakkad-based NGO All Kerala Anti Corruption and Human Rights Protection Council. The state Director General of Prosecution told the Court that the government was prepared to investigate the matter further if new materials were available.
However, he submitted that on the basis of hearsay evidence and media reports no investigation can be conducted. The swami allegedly drowned at the bathing ghat of Periyar near Aluva when he went for bathing on July 1, 2002. The local police had probed the case and concluded that it was an accidental drowning.
The issue has come to focus recently after Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners' Association's working president Biju Ramesh alleged that the Swami's death was a murder and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan and his son Thushar had a role in it. Meanwhile, KPCC President V M Sudheeran asked the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala to order a fresh comprehensive probe into the swami's demise. "It is necessary that a reprobe into the issue is ordered as demand for a further investigation has been raised from different quarters including from the family members of the swami," he told a meet-the-press programme in Thiruvananthapuram.
The KPCC leader also said he had already given a letter to the government demanding a reprobe after Swami's family members met him and gave a representation in this regard. He said the probe was necessary to remove the mystery behind the death and wipe out the concerns of the family. Referring to the move of BJP to set up a third front in the state with the support of SNDP, the outift of numerically strong backward Ezhava community, Sudheeran said it was not going to reap any results.
On the issue of rebel candidates who pose threat to ruling UDF nominees in many places, he said rebels would continue as rebels and the party would not seek support from them even after the election results were out. However, he said rebels would not create any negative impact on the winning prospects of UDF candidates. Disciplinary action, taken against them, would not be withdrawn at any cost, he added.