High Court Kerala High Court

V.K.Gopalakrishnan vs Station House Officer on 25 February, 2009

Kerala High Court
V.K.Gopalakrishnan vs Station House Officer on 25 February, 2009
       

  

  

 
 
  IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

WP(C).No. 4879 of 2007(E)


1. V.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN,
                      ...  Petitioner

                        Vs



1. STATION HOUSE OFFICER,
                       ...       Respondent

2. CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER,

3. THE EXECUTIVE MAGISTRATE (TAHSILDAR),

4. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,

5. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,

6. STATE OF KERALA,

                For Petitioner  :SRI.P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN

                For Respondent  :SRI.S.SREEKUMAR, SC FOR CBI

The Hon'ble MR. Justice M.N.KRISHNAN

 Dated :25/02/2009

 O R D E R
                     M.N. KRISHNAN, J.
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                 W.P.C. NO. 4879 OF 2007
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       Dated this the 25th day of February, 2009.

                      J U D G M E N T

This writ petition is filed for a direction to the 5th

respondent to investigate Crime No.124/00 in the Feroke

Police Station. The gist of the case is that one Jayakumar,

son of Appukutty aged 39 years was found hanging on a

plastic rope in the upstairs of his bed room. His wife and

aunt and others rushed him to TMH Hospital, Kadalundi and

later to Medical College Hospital, Calicut but he was declared

dead. Jayakumar’s wife’s uncle N.R. Sekharan lodged a

complaint before the Feroke Police Station which was

registered under the caption of unnatural death. Autopsy

was conducted on the body of the deceased. Initially 18

witnesses were questioned. Their statements were recorded.

A final report was filed opining that the death was due to

hanging. In the meanwhile the petitioner herein filed a writ

petition before the High Court and this Court handed over

W.P.C 4879 OF 2007
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the investigation to the Crime Branch and accordingly the

Superintendent of Police Crime Branch had taken over the

investigation. From his report it can be seen that he had

examined as many as 37 witnesses and had given a brief

description of what all the witnesses had stated. He had also

pointed out important materials and had arrived at a decision

that it is a case of suicide and further stated that there was

no abetment to commit suicide and therefore ruled out the

possibility of any homicidal death. He had specifically

referred to the evidence of CW17, Sindhu and had also

discussed in detail regarding the absence of abetment or

instigation to commit suicide. Though an attempt was made

with reference to a property dispute there was nothing to link

the same. The Superintendent of Police also even doubted

the manner in which the investigation is conducted by the

Sub Inspectors of Police for the reason that they did not

question the psychiatrist who treated the deceased before his

death. The investigation also revealed that there was an

earlier occasion when the deceased had taken excessive

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sleeping pills and he was admitted in the hospital. Ultimately

Superintendent of Police completed the investigation and

submitted a final report which was approved by the Addl.

Director General of Police(Crimes) and a final report was

submitted before the Executive Magistrate, Kozhikode on

9.5.2006. The statement filed by the Superintendent of

Police shows that all particulars of possible evidence has

been looked into and a decision has been arrived at that it is

a case of suicide and not homicide and there is nothing

further to reveal that there was an abetment to commit

suicide. From these materials I do not find any ground to

entertain this writ petition and therefore it is dismissed.

M.N. KRISHNAN, JUDGE.

ul/-