Liquor baron's murder: Kerala HC orders CBI probe

Mahir Haneef / TNN / Jan 11, 2018, 22:43 IST

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Liquor baron's murder: Kerala HC orders CBI probe

Kerala high court.

KOCHI: The Kerala high court on Thursday ordered a CBI probe into the murder of liquor baron VA Mohan alias Midhila Mohan in 2006.
A CBI probe was ordered by the police after noticing the submission by crime branch that the gang that executed Mohan is suspected to be from Sri Lanka who were residing at Tamil Nadu at a time when LTTE was active there.In the order, the court said the probe has to be extended beyond the reach of police as the accused are suspected to have international links. A petition filed by Mohan’s son Manesh seeking a CBI probe was considered by the court.
Mohan was shot point blank by unidentified assailants at his residence at Palarivattom at 8.50pm on April 5th. The case was first investigated by police and then by crime branch. After taking over probe from the local police in June 2006, crime branch had in 2013 arrested first accused Santhosh Kumar alias Kannan, who allegedly gave the ‘quotation’ to shoot dead Mohanan as vengeance for leaking information about movement of illegal spirit to authorities. Santhosh had given the ‘quotation’ for Rs 10 lakh to Pandiyan, a notorious criminal from Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, according to police.
On Wednesday, crime branch had informed the high court that persons from Sri Lanka who lived in a Tamil Nadu coastal village where LTTE was active could have been the gang that shot Mohan. It is strongly suspected that third accused Mathivanan and fourth accused Uppali, who are believed to be the gunmen, belongs to Sri Lanka, crime branch had told the court.

Both Mathivanan and Uppali were reported to be staying at Vedaranyam Lighthouse area in Nagapattinam district. An enquiry was conducted there by showing the photos of the accused and the inhabitants of the area told police that the photo of Mathivanan resembles one of the persons from Ceylon who was staying in the area earlier, police had informed while pointing out that this seaside hamlet is accessible from Kankesanturai in Sri Lanka in 20 minutes by speed boat.