Hail the judiciary

Jayesh, a 28 year old orphan and a resident of Kallayi was exonerated by the special Court from all the charges falsely implicated by Crime Branch team in the Sundariamma murder case.

The Special Additional Sessions Judge S Krishna Kumar found that the case was a fabricated one with no solid evidences and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Crime Branch team and the Kasaba police officials whose investigation of the case earned Jayesh a one year imprisonment. The amount would be handed over to him as a compensation for keeping him in remand for a year. Jayesh was arrested on the charges of murdering Sundariamma, 69, at Vattakkinar on the outskirts of Kozhikode city, where she lived. The aged woman had been living alone after her daughter was married off and sold food items for a living. She was murdered at her Chirakkal Lane house around 2 am on July 21, 2012 and died at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital three hours later.

After a bootless one year investigation and public protests, the case was handed over to the Crime Branch headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police E.P. Prithvirajan. Jayash was severely beaten up and forced to confess the crime by the officials who even attempted to create false evidences to substantiate their claims. The Judiciary had pointed fingers at the accused officials for engaging in such a heinous act and tarnishing the image of the police force as a whole. Besides compensation, the court also ordered show-cause notices to Circle Inspector P. Pramod and Prithvirajan under Section 340 of the CrPC. Pramod was accused of destroying the evidences and Prithvirajan, for fabricating false evidences with the intention of toppling the case.

It is a shame that the police officials responsible for maintaining law and order and ensuring a harmonious co-existence of communities, often engage in such acts. They accomplish their petty selfish motives through illegal ways or unwillingly pander to the demands of the senior officials out of fear. The efficiency of the police officer is out of question in most of the cases. According to a 2012 report by DGP Jacob Punnoos, there are 605 criminals serving in the police force. Despite all these factors, there are still sincere and honest officials who dedicate their lives serving the people and the government. The verdict by the Judiciary is highly laudable, for upholding the principles of justice and letting free an innocent man. Cases like above should be dealt with utmost seriousness and only guaranteeing proper punishments would prove a warning to the criminals.