CBI branches in State get new status

Arjun RaghunathFirst Published : 01 Jun 2010 04:07:05 AM ISTLast Updated :


THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the rise in number of special crimes and economic offences in the State, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) branch here has been designated to deal with all such cases across the State.


The Kochi branch of CBI would, hereafter, be dealing only with anti-corruption cases in the State.

So far, the special crime cases and economic offence cases in the State were being handled directly by a unit of the CBI Chennai special crimes branch in Kochi.

Thiruvananthapuram branch was dealing only with anti-corruption cases in the southern districts and the Kochi branch was dealing only with anti-corruption cases in other parts of the State.

“In the case of all the existing cases, status quo would be maintained,” CBI sources said.

The sources said that the decision to designate an entire branch in the State to deal with special crime and economic offence cases was taken in view of the increasing number of such cases in the State, including those referred by the courts.

In wake of the new arrangements, the Sampath custodial death case of Palakkad would be investigated by CBI’s Thiruvananthapuram branch. The High Court had recently ordered CBI probe into the case.

The Thiruvananthapuram branch is now headed by a SP and has two Additional SPs, one Deputy SP and five inspectors.

“In the wake of the new arrangements, the strength of the Thiruvananthapuram branch would be strengthened in due course,” said sources. The CBI unit in Thiruvananthapuram was upgraded as a branch last year.