Kochi: A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team from Delhi arrived in Kerala on Friday to investigate the case related to the death of JS Siddharthan.
On Thursday, Sidharthan’s father Jayaprakash approached the High Court seeking intervention to initiate the probe on his son’s death under the central agency. In his plea, Jayaprakash alleged that the state government deliberately delayed the CBI probe to allow the accused to obtain bail in the case.
Sidharthan, a second-year student at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Pookode, Wayanad, was found dead on February 18, allegedly after enduring severe ragging and mob trials.
The state government handed over the case to CBI on March 9 after Sidharthan's father visited the CM. But the home department sent this order to the Kochi office of the central agency instead of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. This lapse came to light during a departmental check on March 26. Following this, the department forwarded the official order and proforma report to the union ministry.
Three employees of the Home Department were suspended from service over "dereliction and unresponsiveness" in handing over documents and details to the CBI with regard to the investigation. Anju, who was serving as an assistant, section officer Bindhu V K and deputy secretary Prasantha V K were placed under suspension by Home Secretary Bishwanath Sinha.
"It has taken 17 days for the office to send all the required details in the prescribed format to the competent authority in the government of India, requesting for investigation by CBI in a serious and sensitive matter," reads the suspension order.
According to the procedure, the CBI starts a probe in such state-referred cases by re-registering the FIR of local police. The findings which are submitted in the form of a final report to a court after the completion of the probe can be completely different from allegations in the FIR.(With PTI inputs)
