Thiruvananthapuram, 21 July (H.S): The Kerala Home Department has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the grant of bail to Dr Ram, the accused in the death of BDS student Nithin Raj, and has ordered a fresh review of the investigation.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has sought a detailed report from the Director General of Police (DGP) regarding the circumstances that led to the accused securing bail. The minister also decided to seek an explanation from the Crime Branch chief, stating that the investigation appeared to have suffered from serious procedural lapses.

Announcing a fresh probe, Chennithala said a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be constituted under the leadership of senior police officer Ajitha Begum. North Zone Inspector General of Police has been entrusted with examining what went wrong during the investigation. While maintaining that there was no deliberate negligence on the part of the police, the minister said the government would thoroughly investigate the circumstances that resulted in the court granting bail.

The decision follows allegations by Nithin Raj's family that they had lost confidence in the existing Crime Branch investigation. The family also alleged collusion between the investigating officers and the accused, claiming that procedural failures enabled Dr Ram to obtain bail.

The controversy erupted after the Thalassery Principal Sessions Court ordered the release of Dr Ram, observing that the Crime Branch had failed to comply with mandatory legal procedures during his arrest. The court noted that the accused had not been properly informed, in writing, of the grounds for his arrest. It was also alleged that the investigating team delayed informing the Public Prosecutor about the arrest.

Immediately after the court ordered his release, Crime Branch officials took Dr Ram back into custody from the court premises. Defence counsel M. Kishore Kumar criticised the move as illegal, arguing that the court had already held the arrest to be procedurally defective and that the subsequent detention violated established legal norms.

Senior police officers have reportedly directed the investigating team to exercise greater caution in future proceedings, with further legal steps to be taken based on fresh legal advice.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman