THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala High Court has ordered a further probe into the death of journalist SV Pradeep. The court entrusted the charge of investigation to the city police commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram. The order, which came on October 30, 2023, was based on a petition filed by 73-year-old R Vasanthakumari, Pradeep's mother.
The Kerala journalist was killed in a hit-and-run road accident near Karakkamandapam in Thiruvananthapuram on December 14, 2020. Nemom police had registered a case, and said that Pradeep was riding on a two-wheeler when he was hit by another vehicle that was coming in the same direction.
Onlookers said the vehicle that hit Pradeep was a Swaraj Mazda truck, and the driver did not stop and instead sped away. Though the truck driver was arrested a day after the accident, the family members of Pradeep suspected foul play. Following this, Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code was registered. However, police later changed it to Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
A statement was filed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Fort Sub Division, Thiruvananthapuram, on January 23, this year, which stated that the investigation was over and the final report was under preparation. However, Pradeep's mother was unsatisfied with the probe and decided to file a writ petition in court.
As per the court's judgement, the local police had altered the offence without even conducting any investigation and ignoring the specific allegation of death threats received by the petitioner's son. The judgement said that a further probe should be conducted by the City Police Commissioner, Thiruvananthapuram.
The inspection has been conducted so far by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram City. The City Police Commissioner itself will peruse the case diary, conduct a further inquiry in this case, and thereafter do the needful in accordance with the law, said the judgement. The court also added that the present investigating officer will hand over the case diary to the City Police Commissioner, Thiruvananthapuram, who will conduct the investigation under his direct supervision.
Pradeep, who had previously worked with a few Malayalam TV channels like Media One, Manorama News, Kairali TV, Jaihind, Mangalam, and News 18, was running an online channel at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife and two children.