CBI Probe: Siddharth’s Pursuit of Justice Hindered by infamous Idukki Gold Mafia

Thiruvananthapuram: A major conspiracy allegedly took place within the Secretariat to undermine the CBI investigation into the death of Siddharth, a student at Pookod Veterinary College. The government announced the CBI investigation into the case. However, there are hints that higher-ranking police officials have also delayed the case transfer to CBI.

Government Action Amid Criticism

The CBI investigation faced significant delays due to serious failures within the Home Department under the Chief Minister’s leadership. After facing intense criticism from Siddharth’s family and the opposition over the hasty initial investigation, the government suspended three female Home Department officials. These officials include Deputy Secretary VK Prashantha, Section Officer VK Bindu, and Assistant SL Anju. Many believe that many influential individuals have a stake in this case. There are also arguments suggesting that these employees were merely scapegoats.

On the 9th of this month, the government issued a notification recommending a CBI probe. Subsequently, on the 16th, the Additional Chief Secretary of Home Affairs sent a letter to the CBI’s Kochi office, which has no jurisdiction over the proceedings. Typically, the Personnel Department of the Union Home Ministry should receive such a letter, as they are responsible for deciding on a CBI investigation. However, the state home department only sent letters to the Ministry of Personnel requesting an investigation.

Crucially, the letter sent to the Kochi office did not include the proforma report required by the procedure. This report comprises eight essential pieces of information, including the FIR’s English copy, investigation agenda, statements, crime scene reports, and post-mortem reports. While all concerned officials in the Secretariat knew these documents should have been provided to the CBI, they failed to do so in Siddharth’s case. This has led to strong arguments that the infamous ‘Idukki Gold’ gang is linked to this conspiracy.

Government Response Amid Intensifying Scrutiny

As public scrutiny intensified, the Secretariat emailed the necessary documents to the CBI yesterday evening. Additionally, DySP S. Srikanth from the police’s special cell traveled to Delhi overnight with a sealed envelope containing the documents. The Personnel Department will now hand these over. However, some delays are still expected due to the preliminary steps required by the Ministry and the CBI.

The government accelerated the process on the 17th day after issuing the notification, but only after Siddharth’s family accused the Kerala government of deliberately delaying the investigation. They alleged that this delay could lead to the destruction of evidence and influence witnesses. Ultimately, the decision to investigate the case rests with the CBI director. Before that, the concerned unit will conduct a preliminary investigation and submit a report to the director through the state head. While the CBI has gathered preliminary information based on news reports indicating an impending investigation, their team will likely arrive soon to uncover the truth.