Kerala High Court directs government to constitute SIT to probe case against Vellappally Natesan

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the criminal case registered by the Kollam East police against SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan in connection with alleged misappropriation of funds.

Though the investigation had been going on for 14 years, it did not arrive at a logical conclusion. Therefore, the court felt a special team should be constituted to probe the case, it observed.

The court made it clear the SIT head should be an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police with known efficiency and integrity to conduct the probe.

The investigation should be monitored by an officer at the level of Additional Director General of Prosecution. It also directed to file the final report expeditiously within six months from the date of taking over of the probe.

The court directed the state police chief to issue a fresh order, constituting the SIT within a month.The court issued the order on a petition seeking to conduct an effective investigation in the financial fraud.

The petitioner submitted the police did not conduct an effective and proper investigation in the case. According to the complainant, Vellappally Natesan misappropriated the funds collected for the golden jubilee celebration of SN College, Kollam, during the 1997-98 period.