Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had directly told the Kottayam SP to vigorously investigate the case of Kevin Joseph on the very same day he went missing.Kottayam: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had directly told the Kottayam SP to vigorously investigate the case of Kevin Joseph on the very same day he went missing, but the officer gave the chief minister the wrong impression that the DySP was indeed investigating.
Manorama News had reported on the morning of May 27 about the complaint lodged with the police that Neenu's family had kidnapped Kevin following their love marriage.
Pinarayi, who had engagements in Kottayam that day, summoned SP Muhammad Rafeeq to the TB and ordered a vigorous probe, which was not complied with.
The SP was transferred as soon as Kevin's body was found because Pinarayi realised the serious omission on the part of the officer. The CM has also ordered a departmental inquiry against the SP.
Harishankar, AIG at the police headquarters, was shifted to Kottayam as Rafeeq's replacement. IG Vijay Sakhare was entrusted with detailed investigation.
Kevin and his cousin Anish were kidnapped from Anish's house at Mannanam in the wee hours of Sunday. Kevin's father Joseph and Neenu had lodged complaints with the Gandhinagar police soon after. But SI M S Shibu took the stand that he can consider it only after the chief minister leaves the district after his engagements. Even as his approach sparked a row, Kevin's body was recovered from the Chaliyakkara stream near Thenmala the next day.
Preliminary probe has found that Neenu's brother Sanu Chacko and his 12 accomplices carried out the kidnap and subsequent murder. Sanu's father Chacko has been named as chief plotter of the crime.
