​Rural Tiger Force was illegal: Kerala govt tells HC

KOCHI

: Rural

Tiger Force

(RTF) members did not have an order to take Sreejith, the victim in Varapuzha ‘custodial death’ case, into custody, state government has informed the

Kerala High Court

.

Members of RTF had claimed in their bail pleas that they were only obeying orders and that Sreejith was taken into custody in the presence of local people.

Strongly opposing their bail pleas, senior public prosecutor Suman Chakravarthy argued on Monday that the accused RTF members did not have a directive to take Sreejith into custody and that RTF was functioning illegally and as a force parallel to the regular police.

The court is considering bail application filed by 34-year-old Santhosh Kumar PP of Irumpupalam at Adimali, 31-year-old Jithin Raj of Vengola near Kunnathunadu, and 34-year-old Sumesh MS of Sebiyur in Malayattoor.

It was contended by them that they are being victimized by the government after providing bails to the sub inspector and the circle inspector. However, the senior prosecutor argued that the circumstances under which the police officers were granted bail differs and that granting bails to the accused RTF members, who are the main accused, would affect the investigation. Witness statements and medical evidence are against the accused RTF members, the court was told. The court has reserved the case for pronouncing its orders.