Crime Branch to retrace Balabhaskar's fatal trip

_{Thiruvananthapuram: The Crime Branch is all set to retrace the journey of noted violinist Balabhaskar on the night of September 25, 2018, that culminated in his death.}

_{With the relatives alleging foul play over the incident, the probe officers have decided to collect detailed information about the journey. The Crime Branch sleuths would travel through the same route taken by Balabhaskar's family at the same time.}

_{They would re-examine the area where the accident happened. The Crime Branch would also collect more information from the police officers who earlier conducted the probe, Balabhaskar's relatives and eyewitnesses.}

_{They would also check the statement by an eyewitness who claimed that he had seen someone wiping off the blood stains from the front seat of the car. A team led by DySP P Harikrishnan is carrying out the probe.}

_{The probe into the Balabhaskar’s death intensified after his former programme coordinator Prakash Thampy was arrested for smuggling gold via Thiruvananthapuram airport.}

_{Balabhaskar's car had met with an accident while he was returning to Thiruvananthapuram from Thrissur along with his wife and toddler daughter. Balabhaskar and his daughter were killed, while his wife escaped with injuries.}

_{Prakash, Vishnu in dire straits after tragedy?}

_{The probe team of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) suspect that Prakash Thamby's financial situation weakened after Balabhaskar's death and he turned into smuggling under the compulsion of his relative Sunil Kumar, who has already been arrested in the case.}

_{Another accused in the case, Vishnu, who was also an acquaintance of Balabhaskar, was allegedly introduced to smuggling by Sunil. Prakash, one of the key carriers of the gang, also backed this.}

_{Both Prakash and Vishnu had conducted several foreign trips to carry out smuggling, it was learnt.}

_{Vishnu is still absconding.}

_{The police suspect that Prakash and Vishnu got actively involved in smuggling after the violinist’s death. The officers have not received any evidence that point to the duo’s involvement in smuggling before the violinist’s death.}

_{The DRI believes that more information about the smuggling racket would be revealed if Vishnu is caught. The officers have also not been able to catch Keralite Jithu, who had been helping the gang in Dubai.}

_{Meanwhile, the DRI has decided to expand the probe to also include jewelleries that have bought gold from the carriers. The DRI sleuths have received information of certain jewellery shops that buy smuggled gold and sell them.}