Kochi, June 12 (IANS). The Kerala High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation into several deaths of children that have occurred in Palakkad district in the last 13 years. The court expressed concern over irregularities in the way investigation was done in at least one case.
The division bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice VM Shyam Kumar passed the order while hearing a PIL seeking a comprehensive investigation into cases of unusual deaths of children in the district.
The Court, after reviewing the status report submitted by the State Crime Branch, specifically ordered the transfer of Crime No. 21/2010 of Kollengod Police Station from the State Crime Branch to the CBI.
Noting that the report has revealed several irregularities in the investigation which require the intervention of the central agency, the Court directed the Crime Branch to hand over all records related to the case, including the post-mortem report and other evidence, to the CBI without any delay.
The bench also sought a report from the CBI on 23 cases of death of children which were mentioned in the statement of facts submitted by the state government and confirmed by Palakkad district police chief Ajit Kumar.
The agency has been allowed to seek additional information from the state police and district authorities before filing its report in the court.
The case has raised concerns over the circumstances of a number of child deaths across the district over more than a decade and whether all possible angles were properly investigated.
Apart from ordering a fresh investigation, the High Court also took note of precautionary measures to strengthen the child protection mechanism in the state.
Earlier, the Court had involved the Kerala State Legal Services Authority in the proceedings, noting that certain social factors may have contributed to these deaths.
Taking note of the proposals submitted by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority, the Court directed the District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committees throughout Kerala to implement awareness and protection programs relating to promotion of child rights, counselling, school outreach, community-based monitoring and child helplines.
Monthly compliance reports have been ordered, and the State Legal Services Authority has been directed to ensure strict implementation of these measures. The next hearing of this case will be on August 6.
–IANS
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