Kozhikode: There is little progress in the case registered by the police over the illegal allotment of building numbers in Kozhikode Corporation by leaking the password of some revenue officials. Incidentally, even though the case was handed over to the Crime Branch a week ago for a detailed investigation, its officers are yet to start their work.

Meanwhile, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau officials also conducted a surprise check at the Corporation office. But, their report is also not ready.

Corporation authorities had submitted a complaint to the local police on June 18 this year alleging that some of their staff had colluded with middlemen to leak the password of some revenue officials to illegally allot numbers to 15 buildings. The police filed a single case regarding all these incidents and sent the computer used to allot the building numbers for cyber-forensic examination.

Five days after the police started the probe all those involved in one incident were arrested. However, no arrests took place in connection with the other 14 incidents. Moreover, seven of those arrested in the first incident, including two Corporation employees, soon received bail.

One week ago, the District Police Chief issued an order transferring further probe into the case to the District Crime Branch and a 16-member team was constituted for the purpose. The Police Commissioner was supposed to oversee the functioning of the team. But, so far, the Crime Branch has not initiated measures to investigate the case.

Meanwhile, some of the middlemen involved in the case have reportedly fled abroad. There are also concerns that the delay in the probe is also likely to cause loss of the digital proof from the computers used to allot building numbers.