Departmental enquiry against sp, inspector in payyoli manoj murder case in thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has initiated an oral enquiry against SP Josy Cheriyan and an Inspector for allegedly committing lapses while investigating the sensational 2012

Payyoli C T Manoj murder case. North Zone IG Rajpal Meena has been appointed as the enquiry officer. Manoj, a BMS leader, was fatally hacked by suspected CPM workers as retaliation for

attacking one of their party member. The enquiry was ordered based on the recommendation of the CBI, which had alleged that Josy, who was then a DySP, and K K Vinodan, then Payyoli station

Inspector, made lapses while probing the case in which the accused were all CPM workers. The case was initially probed by the local police and later by the Crime Branch. The Crime Branch had

filed a chargesheet against 15 people. Though an harrowing instance of political murder, what made the case stood out was that some of the accused, who were ardent CPM workers and local

leaders, alleged that they were implicated by the police at the behest of the CPM leadership. They had further alleged that they were 'dummy' accused and the party wanted to

protect the vested interest of certain people. The CBI in 2016 took over the case from the state police on the orders of the High Court. The CBI chargesheeted 27 CPM workers in 2019 and

recommended departmental action against Josy and the Vinodan for gross official misconduct and lapses in investigation. North Zone IG Rajpal Meena has been appointed as the enquiry officer.

He has been directed to forward the draft memo of charges to the government for approval within two weeks and submit the PR minutes within a period of two months.