Order to probe alleged foul play in Sampath case
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Pointing fingers to suspected foul play by CBI officials to save two IPS officials from the controversial Sampath custodial murder case, the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court on Monday directed the CBI to look into the allegations that some of the officials had intimidated witnesses to change their statements in the case.
Ernakulam CJM P. Sasidharan observed that the investigating officer failed to probe into or follow up the newspaper reports that several witnesses were forced to change their statements.
The court observed, “From the progress report on November 23, 2011 filed by the investigating officer, it could be seen that some of the witnesses had changed their earlier versions given to CBI and before the magistrate.”
“In CBI's progress report, it has been stated that Muhammed Kasim, Dy SP Palakkad, an accused in the case, was further examined and he stated that his statement was not recorded correctly on November 4, 2010 while he was interrogated by inspector K.K. Rajan,” the court observed.
The court also noted that the news items would show that the CBI officials succeeded in their attempt to coerce the witnesses.
The court was considering Sampath’s brother Murukeshan’s plea that the CBI was trying to save Mohammed Yasin and Vijay Sakhare, the two IPS officials who were arraigned as accused in the case.
“Edathala Mani, a witness who had washed the blood stains at the cottage in Malampuzha where Sampath was reportedly murdered, has revealed that the witnesses in the case are being intimidated by the top officials or by their agents,” Advocate Geo Paul, appearing for Murukeshan, argued. CBI vehemently denied the allegations.
The magistrate rejected the submissions of CBI and asked them to respond to the allegations. “The investigating officer should interrogate the witnesses and should ascertain whether these witnesses were intimidated to save the IPS officials.”
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