The High Court on Wednesday asked the police to file a detailed statement regarding the investigation conducted in the molestation case registered against Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran, a government pleader at the High Court.
Justice Sunil Thomas asked the police to file the statement in 10 days. When a petition filed by Mr. Manjooran challenging the FIR registered against him came up for hearing, the government counsel appearing for the police opposed the plea.
The government counsel pleaded that the case against him should not be quashed as the investigation was in the final stages. The counsel submitted that the police had already recorded the statements of 35 witnesses. Their statements revealed that he had committed the crime. Therefore, the plea for quashing the crime should not be allowed.
Counsel for Mr. Manjooran pleaded for a probe into the publication of the statement given by the victim in camera before the magistrate court in the media.
Mr. Manjooran said in his petition that he had been framed by the police. As per the complaint of the woman, he had outraged her modesty when she was returning home after her work at a shop. The petitioner contended that the incident as reported in the media did not take place.
He said the victim cried aloud that somebody had attempted to snatch her chain, and ran towards the petitioner, mistakenly identifying him as the chain-snatcher. He said the complainant had given a sworn affidavit in the magistrate court that it was a case of mistaken identity.
However, the police threatened her and took her to the magistrate court and recorded her statement.
The police said the woman later gave a statement before the magistrate that she was misled by the friends and father of the accused into giving an affidavit stating that she had identified the wrong person and did not want to proceed with the case.
The court posted the petition for further hearing to August 17.
Court ask police to file statement on probe in the molestation case within 10 days
