The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will investigate into the death of a Seaman of Indian Naval Force who died 25 years ago in Kakinada of Andhra Pradesh.
A division bench of Hyderabad High Court comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice S.V. Bhatt passed this order on Monday. The bench directed the CBI to investigate into the death of the seaman (sailor) Amar Ashok Paldhe and inform his mother Anuradha — waiting for justice — the reasons behind his death.
The bench had set aside an earlier order of a single judge of the HC, delivered more than two years ago, directing the Indian Navy officials to constitute a fresh Board of Inquiry to investigate into Amar’s death. This was “a case where the surviving parent of the deceased sailor is awaiting justice as the mother of the victim,” the bench observed.
The CBI should investigate the case independently based on the First Information Report (FIR) issued by the Port police station of Kakinada. It was open to the CBI to make use of any information already available with the local police and the Indian Navy officials who should cooperate with the fresh investigation, the bench said.
The bench was hearing a writ appeal filed by the the Central government and Indian Navy officials challenging a single judge order of the HC. The single judge directed the Indian Navy officials to constitute a fresh BOI, complete inquiry within six months and give the report to the Seaman’s mother who approached the HC seeking to know precise reasons behind her son’s death.
Mr. Amar died after diving from a helicopter into the sea at Kakinada coast as part of an operational exercise called Helo Jumping on September 21, 1993. He was serving Eastern Naval Command Clearance Diving Scheme.
His parents filed a writ petition in Mumbai High Court seeking to know reasons behind their son’s death expressing concern over the authorities expressing their son’s death as ‘accidental’. After the Mumbai HC dismissed the petition on the point of jurisdiction, his parents knocked the doors of Hyderabad HC praying that a re-investigation into the case be ordered.
