Magisterial probe into Kerala’s Meenmutty encounter dying prolonged for 4th time 

By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state authorities for the fourth consecutive time has prolonged the deadline for completion of a magisterial probe into the encounter dying of Tamil Nadu-born Naxal cadre Velmurugan close to Meenmutty forest in Wayanad in November 2020. 

The police model was that Velmurugan was killed throughout a gunfight with the Thunderbolt commandos, whereas human rights activists and relations of the slain Naxal cadre maintained that it was a cold-blooded homicide.

As per the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission tips, magisterial inquiries ought to be performed on the earliest in encounter deaths. The state authorities in November 2020 had ordered the then Wayanad collector Adeela Abdulla to conduct the probe. Though she was given three months’ time to conduct the probe and file a report, she couldn’t meet the deadline and sought three extensions, which was granted by the federal government.

The earlier extension was given this September as Adeela had written to the federal government that the statements of the members of the family of the slain Maoist cadre couldn’t be recorded as that they had shifted from their outdated residence in Theni to Madurai district and so they couldn’t be positioned. The collector additionally knowledgeable that she was but to look at the mahazar witnesses and sought one other three-month extension of deadline, making an allowance for the Covid state of affairs as nicely. 

Following this, the federal government had set November 10 as the brand new deadline. Meanwhile, A Geetha changed Adeela as collector. The new collector sought one other extension saying that it was not clear whether or not she might proceed with the probe began by the earlier collector or have to start out a recent one. The authorities after contemplating the illustration from the collector gave a two months’ extension (until January 10, 2022) and ordered a continuation of the probe that was initiated by Adeela.

SC norms flouted

As per the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission tips, magisterial inquiries ought to be performed on the earliest in encounter deaths. The authorities had ordered the then Wayanad collector Adeela Abdulla to conduct the probe in November 2020.