Kerala High Court junks Saudi-based father’s plea for Crime Branch probe; says no sign of electrocution, child drowned

The police stated that the investigation was conducted in a fair and proper manner by collecting all the scientific and circumstantial evidence, and the findings were consistent with the victim’s death due to drowning.

However, the father suspected electrocution as the cause of death and sought a crime branch investigation under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Section 482 deals with the inherent powers of the High Court to pass any order to prevent the abuse of the process of any court or to secure the ends of justice.

The father’s counsel argued that the discolouration of the child’s body supported the possibility of electrocution.

However, the court rejected this contention, noting that the discolouration of skin, termed cyanosis, is a common sign of drowning, and the postmortem report did not suggest any peculiar features indicative of electrocution. The court emphasised that the chemical and pathological reports did not support the father’s suspicion of electrocution.

Justice Girish dismissed the father‘s plea for a Crime Branch investigation, upholding the investigation report of the Kumarakom Police.