A CBI probe has been ordered by Kerala High Court into the mysterious death of a student union leader on board a houseboat in the Punnamada backwaters at Alappuzha in May 2009.
Suraj Sebastian of Kanakkary in Kottayam, who was on a pleasure trip with his friends, was found dead in a houseboat. He was the student union chairman at College of Engineering Chengannur.
The HC ordered the CBI probe after considering a petition filed by Sooraj’s father TV Sebastian. He argued in the court that no effective investigation was held in the case.
Suraj’s post-mortem report had stated that he drowned but none of his friends who were with him, had given any statement that he had fallen into the water.
There were also injuries on the back of Sooraj’s neck, the petitioner's counsel Tom Jose Padinjarekara argued.
They pointed that forensic experts approached by police had given different statements regarding the cause of death with three of them saying that drowning was the cause while one said cardiac issues.
Court observed that the investigation held in last eight years yielded no result and that no explanation was given on how Sooraj got the injuries.
Petitioner argued that Sooraj’s friends, who were in the boat, had suppressed some facts and they were not willing to undergo scientific tests, reports The Times of India.
In May 2009, at the end of his course, Sooraj and his friends had gone for a pleasure trip in a houseboat that had two rooms.
After partying for a day, Sooraj was found dead next morning by his friends.
The Special Investigation Team by police and Crime Branch conducted the investigation.