New Delhi, The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a chargesheet against a 24 accused in a case related to alleged murder of Kripesh and Sarat Lal at Periya village in Kerala’s Kasargode district.
According to CBI, it had registered the case on October 23, 2019, against 14 accused in pursuance to the orders on September, 2019, of Kerala High Court and took over the investigation of the Crime on February 17, 2019, earlier registered at Bekal Police Station relating to the alleged murder of two persons, Kripesh and Sarat Lal.
Both were Youth leaders of a political party at Periya Village. On February 17, 2019, Kripesh and Sarat Lal, were allegedly murdered by workers of other political party at Kaliyatt in Periya Village due to political enmity.
A case was registered regarding this at Bekal Police Station on the same day and the case was transferred to the crime branch of State Police and re-registered on February 21, 2019, said CBI.
After investigation, the Crime Branch of State Police filed a final chargesheet on May 20, 2019, against 14 accused.
Aggrieved by the investigation and chargesheet filed in the case by the State police, the victims’ parents filed Writ Petition before Kerala High Court for CBI investigation.
The Court ordered in September, 2019, set aside the chargesheet filed by the State police and transferred the case to CBI for further investigation.
CBI re-registered the case on October 23, 2019. Further, the Kerala government filed a Writ Appeal in the High Court against the said order. The Court upheld its earlier order. The Kerala Government further filed SLP before the Supreme Court and the SC ordered to continue the investigation by CBI order on December 1, 2020, said the agency.
CBI conducted thorough investigation and examined more than 300 witnesses and collected several documents in the case.
During investigation, it was alleged that there were some politically motivated attacks and counter attacks between the workers of two political parties in the area. The brutal attack on the two victims was allegedly retaliation to the earlier attack on one of the accused in the chargesheet and others, who hatched conspiracy to attack the victims, said CBI.
It was also alleged that in pursuance to the conspiracy, the victims were brutally attacked on February 17, 2019, with deadly weapons causing grievous injuries to the deceased, who succumbed to death.
CBI had arrested five accused on December 1, 2021, and presently they are in judicial custody. In addition, 11 accused earlier arrested by State Police are also in judicial custody, said CBI.