Nithin Raj case: Inquiry initiated against officer over alleged lapses in arrest procedure

The State has announced that an oral inquiry has been launched against Sudheer Kallen, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch), for alleged procedural errors in the arrest and investigation of M.K. Ram, the main suspect in Nithin Raj's death. This inquiry was prompted by Minhaj Alam, Additional Chief Secretary from the Home department, who directed the State Police Chief to set up a panel to investigate the alleged oversights by Kallen.

Justice A. Badharudeen questioned why an oral inquiry was initiated instead of suspending Kallen. The State explained that they did not want to risk challenging the way disciplinary action was handled against Kallen. It was pointed out that Kallen had translated the arrest notices for Ram from Malayalam, his native language, to Malayalam, rather than to a language he knew. Additionally, the inquiry memo contained an incorrect date, suggesting a failure to conduct proper due diligence in preparing arrest-related documents.

Furthermore, Kallen's failure to adequately brief the public prosecutor on the case details, collected evidence, and the need for custodial interrogation resulted in a weakened prosecution case before the Sessions Court. The report also noted that Kallen did not request police custody for the accused, thereby missing an opportunity for essential custodial interrogation, which is crucial for the progress of the investigation.