The Kerala government on Wednesday said that there was no need to hand over the investigation into the killing of Dr Vandana Das to the CBI as sought by the victim’s parents.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday dismissed the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition’s accusation that the state police investigation into the murder of Dr Vandana Das by a patient at Kottarakkara taluk hospital in Kollam district in May last year was deficient and riddled with legal loopholes favouring the assailant.
Replying to a calling attention motion moved by Kerala Congress (J) legislator Mons Joseph, CM Vijayan said in the Assembly that the probe was carried out and a chargesheet was submitted in court by police without any delay. For the same reasons, the Kerala High Court dismissed the victim’s parents’ plea for a CBI investigation, he said.
Moving the motion, Mons Joseph demanded the government order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder to satisfy public concern about the crime that shocked society. He said the bereaved parents also accused the police of arm-twisting witnesses, including Vandana’s colleagues, to give statements to suit their script.
CM Vijayan said the police had secured witnesses’ sworn statements and adduced unimpeachable forensic evidence and security camera footage as proof in the court.
The Kerala High Court had last week dismissed the parents’ plea for a CBI probe into the killing of Dr Vandana Das by a patient at Kottarakkara taluk hospital. Vandana’s father Mohandas had said that the family would file an appeal against the single bench order dismissing their plea for a CBI probe.