New Delhi, Saturday 02 April 2011: The CBI director has called the investigation team, probing the Puthoor custody death, to New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the progress in the investigation. The investigation officers DySP P Haridath and CI Unnikrishnan have been directed to report in New Delhi.

The report has implicated two IPS officers in the custody death. The CBI also feels that the case is a complicated one. The meeting to be held in New Delhi under the leadership of the CBI head will discuss in detail further proceedings related to the case.

Earlier report

Additional Director General of Police B.S. Muhammed Yasin and Deputy Inspector General of Police Vijay Sakhare have been arraigned as accused in the case relating to the custodial death of Sampath.
The CBI filed a report in this regard before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.

The report said that the IPS officers had played a role in the case. The investigation team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police P.G. Haridatt named Vijay Sakhare and Muhammed Yasin as accused No.15 and 16 respectively in the case. According to the CBI, a police team led by Yasin and Sakhare had visited Coimbatore and arrested Sampath and other accused from there in connection with the murder of Sheela of Palakkad.

The CBI said Muhammed Yasin went to the riverside cottage at Malampuzha where Sampath was tortured. He beat up Sampath with a cane. The CBI said Sampath was inhumanly tortured at the instance and instigation of these IPS officers. They had been charged with Sections 302 (murder) and 120 B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The Magistrate court has also issued an arrest warrant against the IPS officers. The CBI had earlier arrested Deputy Superintendent of Police C.K. Ramachandran, Sub-Inspectors P.V. Ramesh, T.N. Unnikrishnan and police officer Shyamaprasad in connection with the case. They are remanded in custody till April 11.

Sampath, a prime accused in the case relating to the murder of Sheela, in Palakkad died in police custody in March 2010. The CBI took over the investigation following a High Court order.

The court had directed the State to accord permission for deployment of CRPF personnel for protection of the CBI team following threats from certain quarters. If the court came across any “unwholesome conduct” of the CBI officials to influence the investigation team, it would initiate action for contempt, besides summoning the Director of CBI.

(News agency)