The High Court on Monday directed the State Attorney to make available by June 10 the final report on the investigation into the allegation pertaining to the bulk issuance of postal ballots of police officers.
Earlier, K.V. Sohan, the State Attorney, submitted that the investigation would be completed in 15 days after May 23, the date of counting of votes, so as to enable an analysis of the postal ballots. He made the submission on a writ petition filed by Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala regarding the postal ballots.
Such “an analysis would throw light on the nature of the violation, either in an organised way or at the personal level, by the individual concerned,” the court noted.
The Bench of Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar noted that the forensic analysis of the mobile phones of those allegedly involved in the crime would have a direct bearing on the inquiry. Moreover, the court noted that the Chief Electoral Officer has also been requested to furnish directives to the Returning Officers to cooperate with the inquiry. The court posted the case to June 10.
