New team to probe Krishna Pillai memorial torching case

 
KOCHI: The state police chief on Wednesday informed the Kerala High Court that a special investigation team had been constituted to probe the conspiracy behind a case relating to the torching of P Krishna Pillai memorial in Alappuzha. In a report submitted to the High Court, State Police Chief T P Senkumar pointed out that Additional Director General of Police (Crimes) had been directed to constitute a fresh investigation team under the present investigating officer P B Rajive and conduct the investigation under the direct supervision of Ananthakrishnan, Additional Director General of Police (Crimes), and S Sreejith, Inspector General of Police (Crimes), into the torching of the memorial for the founder-leader of the Communist movement in the state.

He said that the new team had been directed to complete the investigation within six months from the date of constitution the team. The deposition of witnesses such as Palani, Pushpavally and Jayan had to be re-examined to clarify certain points. The report said that there was strong evidence against the accused. In fact, the conspiracy aspects behind the incidents and the identity of other conspirators were to be probed in detail.

The report stated that the role of the first accused, Latheesh B. Chandran, in the case, registered by the Muhamma police station, had to be sufficiently established by the phone contacts he made during the night at the relevant time. The statement of witnesses Ayisha and her husband Mohanan pointed to the presence of second accused Sabu and fourth accused Rajesh at the place of occurrence. However, further clarification was required on their statement, the report said. The report also said that the circumstances under which third accused Deepu had gone to the police station to give first information statement was to be further probed. Accused Latheesh and Sabu had refused to undergo polygraph test. It was to be ascertained whether they were now willing to undergo such a test. The report was filed in response to a petition seeking a CBI probe filed by Latheesh, former personnel staff of former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.