Kerala HC quashes criminal case against police officials

In a significant development in the Koothuparamba police firing case, the Kerala High Court on Monday quashed the criminal case registered against the then Thalassery Assistant Police Superintendent Ravada A Chandrasekhar and other officials allegedly involved in the firing that claimed the lives of five DYFI activists in November 1994.


 Justice B P Ray passed the order on a petition filed by Ravada A Chandrasekhar, the then Kannur DySP Abdul Hakkim Batheri, police officials P Lukose, V Sivadasan and Balachandran and former deputy collector T T Antony challenging the order of Koothuparamba Judicial First Class Magistrate Court. The magistrate had asked the police to register a case against the officials who were present at the time of firing  under section 302 (murder) 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 b (criminal conspiracy).


 According to the petitioners, there was no material to show that they shared the common intention to commit an offence. Since the petitioners were discharging their official duty, prosecution was barred without a valid sanction, they pointed out.