Kerala High Court (File photo)

Varappuzha custodial death case: High Court turns down plea for CBI probe into custodial death

The plea had been made by the wife of victim S R Sreejith, who had died of alleged custodial torture by police on April 9.

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court today turned down a plea for CBI probe into a case of custodial death, expressing satisfaction over the investigation by the state police in it.

Justice K Abraham Mathew turned down the plea by the victim's wife, concurring with the prosecution arguments that the police probe was on right track and noting that a total of nine policemen were arrested and put on the trial for their alleged roles in the case.

The bench also noted that besides putting the nine policemen on trial and proceeding against them departmentally, the state police had also suspended two others, including former Ernakulam rural police chief, and had initiated departmental proceeding against them.

The plea had been made by the wife of victim S R Sreejith, who had died of alleged custodial torture by police on April 9.

Sreejith murder case accused being produced at the judge’s house at
Paravoor in Kochi. (File | EPS)

In her petition, the victim's wife Akhila had alleged lapses in the police investigation into her husband's 'custodial death.'

Sreejith's family said they were planning to file an appeal against the verdict.

In her petition, Akhila had said she feared that the inquiry conducted by police against the officials from their won department would not yield the expected results.

"It is fair and proper to handover the investigation to the CBI," she had said.

The role of other influential officers, including the district police chief (rural) and circle inspector of the area should also be investigated, she said.

The state government had said there was no scope for a CBI investigation in the case.