Kerala High Count rejects govt plea against CBI probe into murder of Congress workers

Kochi, Aug 25: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a state government plea challenging a single bench order directing a CBI probe into the killing of two Youth Congress workers in Kasaragod last year.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S Manikumar, however, accepted an interim probe report of the state crime branch, which investigated the case initially and directed the CBI to conduct further inquiry. Observing serious lapses in the police investigation, the High Court last September handed over the case to the Central agency after dismissing the chargesheet filed by the crime branch.

The single bench ordered the CBI probe into the case while allowing a petition filed by the parents of the slain Youth Congress workers. Sarath Lal and Kripesh were hacked to death on February 17, 2019 in Kasaragod allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

In its appeal against the single bench order, the government had alleged that the entire findings of the bench were based on surmises and conjunctures, and not supported by any material and it had not considered the material on record including the case diary. The CBI, which re-registered the case on October 23, 2019 following the court order, had accused the state police of not handing over the necessary documents needed for the investigation.

The CBI had mentioned the alleged non-cooperation by the crime branch wing of the Kerala police in the status report of the probe submitted by its investigation officer before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here.