Kerala HC stays CBI probe into Congress worker’s killing in Kannur
On 7 February, justice Kamal Pasha had ordered the transfer of investigation into the murder of Youth Congress worker Muhammad Shuhaib to CBI
Bengaluru:A division bench of Kerala high court on Wednesday stayed an order by a single judge transferring a murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The case will be next heard on 23 March.
On 7 February, justice Kamal Pasha had ordered the transfer of investigation into the murder of Youth Congress worker Muhammad Shuhaib to CBI, in a setback for the government which had resisted it.
Shuhaib was murdered on 15 February in politically sensitive Kannur district, allegedly by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, workers. Last week’s court order was based on a petition by Shuhaib’s parents, alleging the state police probe was an “eye-wash".
The state government opposed this order on Wednesday, arguing the state police’s special investigation team on this case did not get a chance to file a counter affidavit so far, said a report on news website The Newsminute. The order for a CBI probe was given based on media reports, the report added, and did not examine the evidence collected by the state police.
Parents of Shuhaib on Wednesday contended that the division bench lacked jurisdiction to consider the appeal, reported the website of the newspaper The Hindu.
In their petition last week, Shuhaib’s parents had said the killing was motivated by the top CPM leadership. But the police was going easy on Akash, the first accused in the case, since he is close to senior CPM leaders, it had said. The petition also alleged attempts to help the accused and lethargy in finding the assault weapons.
Local CPM legislator A.N. Shamseer welcomed the stay order. Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, who is spearheading protests in Kannur against the government based on the killing, told Mint that the party is considering the filing of an appeal against the Wednesday’s stay order in Supreme Court.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!