KOCHI: In A development that will have serious ramifications, the office of the Director-General of Prosecution (DGP) has cast doubts on the conduct of the investigating officer in the sensational parallel telephone exchange case in which 168 Pakistani and two Chinese nationals are involved.
The DGP’s office said the police officer — Crime Branch (Kozhikode) Assistant Commissioner T P Sreejith — is not interested in arresting Abdul Gafoor, who is one of the key conspirators and main beneficiary. Six accused have been arrested while Gafoor is absconding. Police could make more inroads into the case if he is nabbed.
A senior officer with the DGP’s office, in a letter on January 6, asked the state police chief to arrest Gafoor without further delay. “(It seems) the (investigation) officer has some connection with the accused. He has full knowledge of his (Gafoor’s) activities. Despite this, I feel the officer is not interested in arresting the accused in a case which even the Kerala High Court has viewed as serious,” the letter said.
In a report on January 9 -- ‘Keralite sold call routes to Pakistan, Chinese nationals; admits to foreign links’ — TNIE had brought out the involvement of Pakistani and Chinese nationals in the case. “I am writing this letter to inform you (state police chief) about the unusual conduct of the investigating officer,” the officer said.
The High Court, after dismissing Gafoor’s bail application on November 5, had directed him to surrender before the investigation officer forthwith. The letter stated that the investigating officer Sreejith, used to contact the prosecutor who opposed Gafoor’s bail plea.
‘Is officer waiting for accused to move apex court?
The letter said the investigating officer did nothing to arrest the accused. “It appears the investigating officer took no effort to arrest the accused despite the High Court dismissing the latter’s bail application. The single judge had orally asked the prosecutor to direct the investigating officer to arrest the accused if he did not surrender.
Ten days after the bail plea was dismissed, the investigating officer called the prosecutor and informed him that there was a stay on arresting the accused,” the letter said. It was later verified that the order not to arrest the accused was issued on a petition filed by Gafoor seeking to quash the criminal case. The High Court finally dismissed this petition too. “However, the accused has not been arrested so far. It seems the officer is waiting for the accused to approach the apex court,” the letter said.
HC directed Gafoor to surrender immediately
The High Court, after dismissing Abdul Gafoor’s bail application on November 5, had directed him to surrender before the investigation officer, CB assistant commissioner T P Sreejith