Kerala HC slams CBI for reluctance to take up missing person case
The bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and M B Snehalatha was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by K J Antony to trace his 20-year-old son, Adam Joe Antony, a Chartered Accountancy student from Palluruthy in Kochi, who went missing on July 28, 2024. According to police, Adam had left home for a morning cycling routine around 3.45am on the said date and never returned. Despite the formation of a special investigation team as per the HC's earlier directive, no breakthrough has been achieved thus far.
Consequently, the court had sought instructions from the CBI.
On Wednesday, CBI's senior counsel informed court that the agency was unable to take over the investigation due to manpower constraints. It was also submitted that the CBI is primarily mandated to investigate cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and that even in the previous week, two murder cases had been assigned to the agency. The counsel further asserted that the current case lacked national significance and CBI could not be expected to handle all murder cases.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card
UnionBank Credit Card
Undo
This response drew sharp criticism from the bench. "This is not a murder case. How dare you say that? The court did not seek the CBI's involvement to find a body, but to trace a missing person. There is a lingering suspicion that the young man may have been taken outside the territory of Kerala. Hence, we expected the assistance of a national agency like the CBI. The young man has been missing for nearly a year. We had hortatively hoped that a premier institution like the CBI would support the court in bringing some relief to the petitioner, the father, in tracing his son.
However, our hopes have been denied. We are truly surprised that you have never before indicated such conditions for extending assistance," the court orally said.
The court, however, clarified that it did not propose to entrust the investigation to the CBI in the same manner as it would in cases involving grave offences. Instead, it sought a status report from the state police chief, underscoring that the responsibility to trace the missing person, whether within or outside the state, rests solely with the state police.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Over 100 illegal arms seized in 18 months from across state
1 2 Jaipur: From AK-series rifles to country-made pistols and even muzzleloaders, a wide range of illegal firearms continues to surface in police investigations across Rajasthan. This points to an evolving arms supply chain that caters to both local gangs and organised criminal groups. Since 2023, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) seized more than 100 illegal weapons and recovered 2,115 cartridges from multiple districts. Police officials said many of these weapons were smuggled along a well-trodden corridor extending from Dholpur, near the Uttar Pradesh border, to Pratapgarh, which shares boundaries with Madhya Pradesh. "The gangsters and suppliers work as a closely knit community; they procure weapons both from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh," said an official. Since June, notable recoveries include an AK-56 rifle seized from criminal Rajveer Singh and an AK-46 recovered from a suspect in Dholpur. In Churu, gangster Jitendra Singh alias Jeetu Jodi was caught with an AK-47 and two magazines. In a separate operation in the same district, Praveen Jyoti alias Praveen Commando—who carried a Rs 25,000 reward—was arrested with 18 illegal weapons, 16 magazines, and 160 cartridges. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cách giao dịch ETH/USD mà không cần nắm giữ Ether IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo A major breakthrough came in Pratapgarh, where AGTF officials arrested gangster Salman Khan and arms supplier Rakesh Kumar, recovering 14 illegal foreign and country-made weapons, 10 magazines, and 1,880 live cartridges. This operation also led to the arrest of Ramashankar, a key illegal arms dealer in Uttar Pradesh. Police later arrested a UP-based gun shop owner who allegedly supplied ammunition to the network. Officials said that in several narcotics-related raids, weapons were also recovered, indicating that drug cartels are sourcing firearms alongside their trade. "In many such cases, weapons were seized alongside drugs," said an AGTF officer. According to sources, the seizure in Pratapgarh was one of the largest in recent years, with over 1,800 rounds of ammunition recovered, further exposing the supply networks that support criminal operations across the region. AGTF officials said that after they arrested the gun shop owner from Uttar Pradesh, they also began to keep an eye on similar businessmen in Rajasthan. "We found that the accused arrested from Uttar Pradesh used to siphon off ammunition to gangs by forging his record sheets. After that, we decided to examine other gun house owners in Rajasthan," said an official.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
PM-eBus Sewa scheme: Min urges Centre to give subsidies to states
Mangaluru: The central govt should provide direct subsidies to state govts to procure electric buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, instead of allocating them to private operators under the PPP model, said Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy. He was speaking after inaugurating the new automated driving test track at Kamblapadavu in Pajir village, Ullal taluk, on Sunday. The procurement and operation of electric buses was easy during the UPA regime. While the central govt was providing 50% of the fund, the state and its transport corporations had to invest 25% each to operate buses. Now, under the NDA regime, buses are not given directly to states but instead procured through tenders, and the subsidy goes to the participating bidders. They will own the buses, hire drivers, and also maintain the vehicles while the state corporations have to appoint conductors and pay the operators on a kilometre basis. The minister suggested that the central govt should directly pay the subsidy to the state transport corporations across the nation. He added that a discussion in this regard was held with Union minister HK Kumaraswamy too. On 100 electric buses sanctioned to Mangaluru under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, the minister said the depot and terminal will be developed soon after land was identified. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invertir con Cervecería Nacional CFD, si tienes 30 o más, puede alegrar tu cuenta bancaria Empieza a invertir hoy Más información Undo On the new automated driving test track, Reddy said Karnataka will have the highest number of automated driving test stations in the country. "In fact, chief minister Siddaramaiah was scheduled to inaugurate the facility, which was developed at a cost of Rs 7.5 crore. However, due to technical reasons, the programme was postponed. Govt has been providing automated driving test tracks at 42 centres covering all districts in the state," he said. Karnataka assembly speaker UT Khader presided while Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta, among others, were guests. Automated test to begin in 10 days RTO Sridhar K Mallad said the new automated driving test station set up as per the guidelines of the central govt will replace the manual inspections. "Further, it will increase efficiency while preventing corruption and interference of middlemen. There are separate automated driving test tracks for two-wheelers, light motor vehicles, and heavy vehicles," he said. "The manual facility at Vamanjoor will be shifted to the new facility at Kamblapadavu within a few days. The new automated driving test track will be made operational within 10 days after the services are linked to the NIC. Once the linking process is completed, applicants will have to apply and book slots for tests online," he said.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Carjackers in Nihang attire nabbed after 10-hour chase
1 2 Mohali: Mohali police arrested four men dressed in traditional Nihang attire for allegedly carjacking a woman and kidnapping her on the night of July 11. The suspects were tracked down within 10 hours to a gurdwara in Shahbad, Haryana, where the stolen vehicle was also recovered. The incident unfolded like a scene from a thriller. A woman and her male friend were returning from a late-night movie at Bestech Mall when their car was intercepted near the Lakhnaur turn by four men on a motorcycle. Clad in Nihang robes, the suspects forcibly pulled the man out of the vehicle, abducted the woman, and sped off in her car. Mohali SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said the police were initially "blind" in the case. "But our teams worked relentlessly, scanning CCTV footage and toll plaza cameras to trace the vehicle. The woman was later found abandoned but unharmed near a mall on Airport Road," he said. The accused — Shamsher Singh (a granthi), Satnam Singh (a cab driver), Nirmal Singh and Chander Mohan alias Jaildar (both security guards) — were all living in a PG accommodation behind Gurudwara Singh Shaheedan in Sohana, Mohali. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Túl sok hasi zsír? Tedd ezt lefekvés előtt (figyelj!) Tudj meg többet Undo A multi-agency operation involving the Haryana Police, local sarpanches, and the gurdwara's granthi led to the swift arrests. The operation was spearheaded by SP (Operations) Talwinder Singh and a team of senior officers. Initial interrogation revealed the accused had planned to sell the stolen car in Delhi. SSP Hans also hinted that the group may be linked to other crimes, with investigations ongoing. A case has been registered, and further legal proceedings are underway.
