Court asks police to file inquiry report by June

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court here on Friday has ordered the police to file the inquiry report in the case where trees worth Rs 50 lakh were allegedly stolen from the compound of the Golf Club here. The magistrate ordered the sub-inspector of Peroorkada police station to file the report before June 30.Back in February 2, 2010, the court had ordered the police to file a theft case over the illegal sale of trees, including Mahogany, from the 25.38-acre land belonging to the Golf Club. However, the police did not take any action. Following this, advocate P Nagaraj filed a petition to monitor the investigation. It was on the basis of this complaint that the magistrate ordered the investigating officers to file the report.The petition alleged that the police failed to file the ‘mahzar’ in the case. Absence of the mahzar, which must have the details of stump, its number and other information, will weaken the case, the petition said.“The police failed to take eyewitness account and record material objects (Mos). Revenue officials and local people had blocked the lorries carrying the logs. However, the police helped the accused to destroy the evidence by burning the logs,’’ the petition said. The petitioner submitted photographic evidence along with his plea.The accused include former secretary of the Golf Club Raghuchandran Nair.The petitioner has called the investigation ‘faulty’ and ‘improper’ and alleged that the investigation officers were ‘tainted’ and ‘ineffective.’