No accused yet in Anthoor NRI investor’s suicide case

Source: newindianexpress.com

KANNUR/KOCHI: Ten days have passed since NRI businessman Sajan Parayil committed suicide, but the investigation into the case has made little progress with the police not pressing charges against anyone so far though four officials of Anthoor Municipality have been suspended by the state government.

Even an anticipatory bail petition filed by suspended Anthoor Municipal Secretary M K Girish was closed by the Kerala High Court after prosecution submitted he was not arraigned as an accused in the case. Girish had approached the court apprehending arrest in the case registered by Valapattanam police over the businessman’s death.

He contended the police were trying to implicate him in the case on the alleged ground of non-issuance of compliance certificate to Partha Convention Centre owned by Sajan.

Though statements of the suspended officials were taken, police claim they could not unearth any evidence to register a case against them. “We’re checking the documents and the probe is only in a preliminary stage. More documents need to be checked and the officials should be interrogated further,” said DySP V A Krishnadas,who is in charge of the investigation.

‘Hope justice will prevail’
Partha Builders secretary K Sajeevan, meanwhile, expressed hope that “justice will prevail”. The state government had suspended four officials of Anthoor Municipality following outrage over the businessman’s suicide. Chief Minister had also criticised them for delaying sanction to the convention centre. Besides Gireesh, assistant engineer K Kalesh and first-grade overseers Augustine and Sudheer are the others placed under suspension.