Plea against CBI chargesheet dismissed

KOCHI: The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has dismissed a petition challenging the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (CJMC) proceedings of accepting CBI chargesheet in the sensational Sampath custodial death case. Sampath’s brother Murukeshan had filed the challenge petition alleging the CBI chargesheet omitted names of two IPS officers. The court dismissed the petition after hearing CBI and Murukeshan last week. 

In its 52-page order over the petition, the court observed whether the petitioner was only interested in the IPS officers’ involvement and not in the 12 cops who were charge-sheeted by CBI. Following frequent petition challenging the chargesheet, the trial in the case could not be initiated. 

The trial court has no power to order the CBI to arraign someone as accused at this stage. If the role of any persons was omitted during the probe and in the chargesheet, it can be pointed out during trial, the court said. The Principal Sessions Court could not find any fault in the CJMC accepting the chargesheet. Similarly, CBI had substantiated the reason behind omitting IPS officers from the case. The court also directed the CJMC to speed up the remaining proceedings.