Kerala high court questions delay in arrest of former officer of Intelligence Bureau in female colleague's death

Kochi: High court on Thursday questioned the state govt over the delay in arresting the former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, the lone accused in the case related to the death of a fellow female IB officer.

The bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, while considering his pre-arrest bail plea, asked the state govt why the accused had not been taken into custody so far. Observing that the petitioner had been absconding for the past two months, the court remarked that the police's failure to trace him despite having sufficient evidence was troubling. "Does this mean the police do not want his custodial interrogation? How long can a person in these modern times abscond like this? Is he under someone's protection," the bench asked. The court further sought a response from the state on whether the accused is required for custodial interrogation and why he has not yet been apprehended. The court then reserved its order on the bail plea for Monday, issuing an oral direction to the police not to arrest him until then.

Meanwhile, the prosecution submitted that the accused officer had a parallel relationship with another colleague. It was stated that he intended to marry her and that the two had lived together in a rented house. WhatsApp chats recovered during the investigation reportedly corroborated this relationship, and the woman's statement had also been recorded, the prosecution said.

The 24-year-old female officer, who was working with the Bureau of Immigration at Trivandrum International Airport, was found dead on the railway tracks at Pettah on March 24. Her family has alleged that her male colleague sexually assaulted her and defrauded her of approximately Rs 3.5 lakh. In his bail plea, the accused claimed that the woman, who had lived with him, may have died by suicide due to pressure from her parents, who allegedly forced her to accept an alternative marriage proposal against her will.