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Kerala: In a recent development, the Kerala High Court has granted permission to include an application for the transfer of the investigation into the heinous murder of 23-year-old house surgeon Dr Vandana Das to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The deceased doctor’s parents had approached the court, seeking a transfer of the probe to the CBI. Additional Director General of Prosecution, Grashious Kuriakose, informed the court that the police had concluded the investigation and that a charge sheet had been filed. The case has also been assigned a number and is currently pending before the additional sessions of Kollam’s court.
Citing decisions from the Supreme Court, the argument against the transfer emphasised the absence of rare and exceptional circumstances justifying the involvement of the CBI. It was asserted that mere allegations without evidence against the investigating body were insufficient grounds for seeking a transfer of the probe. The State Police Chief submitted an Action Taken Report detailing the investigation.
The state police’s counsel assured the court that they were open to addressing any concerns raised by the parents and were prepared to take necessary actions. The argument contended that only if deficiencies or shortcomings were identified in the final report could a request for further investigation by the CBI be considered.
After considering all arguments, the Court accepted the impleading application filed by Sandeep and scheduled the next hearing for January 18.