Periya twin murders: HC slams Kerala police chargesheet, orders CBI probe

Two Youth Congress workers, 22-year-old Kripesh and 24-year-old Sharath Lal, were attacked and killed by three motorcycle-borne men in February.
Periya twin murders: HC slams Kerala police chargesheet, orders CBI probe
Periya twin murders: HC slams Kerala police chargesheet, orders CBI probe
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Lashing out at the probe conducted by state police's Crime Branch into the murder of two Youth Congress workers in Kasaragod, the Kerala High Court on Monday ordered a CBI probe into the case after quashing the police charge sheet.

The court, while handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), came down heavily on the police for the manner in which it conducted its "callous probe,” always taking the word of the prime accused as arraigned by the Crime Branch as the basis of going ahead with its probe and making arrests.

Youth Congress workers, 22-year-old Kripesh and 24-year-old Sharath Lal, were attacked by three motorcycle-borne men while returning from an event in February. While Kripesh died at the Kasaragod district hospital, Sharath Lal succumbed to his injuries on his way to a medical facility in Karnataka's Mangaluru.

The court slammed the police probe team of not going ahead with conducting a forensic examination of the weapon used by the killers, soon after it was recovered.

The family members of the victims and the Congress have been demanding a CBI probe right from the time the police had failed to arrest the real accused, who, according to them, are senior CPI(M) district leaders who conspired to eliminate the two young Congress workers on February 17 this year.

Even though the police had arrested a few suspects, including A Peethambaran, a local CPI(M) leader, who was later arraigned as the prime accused, they relied on his statement to arrest the others allegedly involved.

The case had attracted huge media attention forcing then Governor, Justice P Sathasivam (retd) seeking an urgent status report from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the police investigation.

Reacting to the developments, Sathyan, father of Sharath Lal, alleged that right from day one, the police was playing a cover-up game and was meant to save prominent CPI(M) leaders who have had a key role in the murder.

Krishnan, Kripesh's father, said the family is very happy that the High Court has intervened to give them justice.

"We are very happy that the case has been given to the CBI and we now expect that justice will now come when the real culprits are arrested," he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala stated that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should resign from his post as he is also the Home Minister and his police had "cleanly done a cover-up job" to save their party leaders.

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