The Central Bureau of Investigation probing the Periya twin murder case pertaining to the murder of two Youth Congress workers, told the Kerala High Court on Wednesday that the agency was not able to take forward the investigation. The CBI informed the court that since the appeal filed by the state government against the agency taking over the probe has not yet been resolved by the High Court division Bench, it was not unable to take the probe forward.
In October 2019, a single Bench of Justice B Sudheendra Kumar ordered a CBI probe into the murders of 22-year-old Kripesh and 24-year-old Sharath Lal, stating that the Crime Branch probe was faulty. Fourteen people were arrested in connection with the murders and the prime accused in the case, Peethambaran, is the local CPI(M) leader of Periya in Kasaragod.
The Kerala government had opposed handing over the case to the CBI. The appeal of the government considered by a division Bench of the High Court, headed by the Chief Justice, is still pending. Hearing in the case was completed nine months ago and the High Court is reportedly yet to give an ultimatum.
On Wednesday, while considering the bail application of accused persons, including first accused Peethambaran, the CBI reportedly informed the court that it was not able to move forward due to the direction given by the division Bench that the case can only be progressed following its ultimatum in the appeal.
In February 2019, the two youths were stabbed to death by motorcycle-borne assailants. The Opposition Congress alleged that this was a political murder by the rival CPI(M), which leads the LDF government in the state.
The state government had also drawn the Opposition’s flak by bringing in lawyers from Delhi, reportedly spending close to Rs 88 lakhs to go on appeal against the single-judge Bench’s decision of handing over the case to the CBI. The Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala had raised arguments in the state Assembly that the government had given a message that it was with the accused persons instead of the families of the victims, by bringing in top lawyers.
As per reports, the state government had argued that the court’s decision was without considering the case diary of the Crime Branch.