Row over murder case deepens in Pathanamthitta
The Pathanamthitta district police have found themselves at the centre of yet another controversy, this time over the appointment of a special public prosecutor in a sensational murder case.
The dispute, which has erupted between District Police Chief V.G. Vinod Kumar and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Madhu Babu, currently serving in Alappuzha, stems from a complaint filed by the latter with the Chief Minister. The complaint alleges intervention by the DPC in appointing an individual, reportedly listed in the police rowdy sheet, as the special public prosecutor in the 2013 murder case.
Mr. Babu, who had previously served as the Circle Inspector in Pathanamthitta during the initial investigation of the case, claimed that the appointment was driven by personal motives.
In a sharp counter, the DPC has publicly accused the DySP of mishandling the early stages of the investigation and even suggested that Mr. Babu feared being named as an accused for alleged evidence tampering.
The case in question involves the murder of Biju M. Joseph, a cashier at Karikineth Silks, who was killed on November 5, 2013. Despite the gravity of the crime, the chargesheet was filed only in 2015. The victim's brothers, Sabu M. Joseph and Baby M. Joseph, had later approached the High Court, alleging undue influence by the accused and requesting the appointment of a special public prosecutor to ensure a fair trial.
Acting on their petition, the High Court selected one of three proposed candidates for the role of special prosecutor. The court also observed that, under Section 319 of the CrPC, individuals found to be involved in evidence tampering could be added as accused, if warranted.
The controversy escalated after allegations emerged that Mr. Babu, then the investigating officer, had attempted to protect the accused. He was subsequently replaced and a new deputy superintendent took over the case and eventually filed the chargesheet.
'It was out of fear of facing action that the Deputy Superintendent came forward with such a complaint. The reports suggesting that I recommended a person with a rowdy background for the prosecutor's role are completely untrue,' Mr. Vinod Kumar stated.
Meanwhile, the lawyer at the centre of the storm, Prashanth V. Kurup, has strongly denied all allegations. Talking to the media, Mr. Kurup claimed that the cases against him were fabricated and clarified that his appointment was made based on a High Court recommendation, following the petition by the victim's family.
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