The Kerala High Court on Monday (August 3) sought the State's response to a plea seeking CBI probe into a 12-year-old missing persons case, which was registered in 2014 by the Kattappana police.

Justice G. Girish today granted time to the public prosecutor to take instructions and posted the case on August 18 for further consideration.

The plea was moved by Nariyampara resident Sajeev S. seeking an effective and scientific investigation into the mysterious disappearance of his brother Subash on April 22, 2014.

According to the plea, there had been serious disputes among their family members regarding ancestral properties and it is likely that these persons were responsible for his brother's disappearance.

It is further stated that though the police were immediately reported and a crime was even registered under Section 57 of the Kerala Police Act, there has been no progress in the case. Moreover, the petitioner does not even have a copy of the FIR since he was told that the old records were destroyed, it is stated.

He has further stated reasons for his apprehension that his brother was murdered and buried in the adjoining family property. Though this information was brought to the notice of the investigating agency on multiple occasions, no effective steps were taken to verify the same through scientific or forensic means, it is stated.

"Though the investigating officers had initially, assured to dig out the said property and probe into the genuineness of the said suspicion, they have withdrawn from the said assurance for reasons best known to them only. Unless the investigating agency undertakes a systematic scientific search of the property, the truth behind the disappearance can never be unearthed. The petitioner submits that such a search may reveal human skeletal remains or other incriminating material capable of establishing the fate of the missing person. In such an eventuality, exhumation and scientific forensic examination would become indispensable for establishing the identity of the deceased and the cause of death," states the plea.

The petitioner has also stated that he made fresh complaints in October 2014 and later, in May 2016, the investigation did not progress. Subsequently, he approached higher police officials and governmental authorities, including the Chief Minister in 2023 and in 2024, but his grievance remained unresolved as there has not been any meaningful investigation.

The plea thus prays for a direction to the CBI to take over the case from the Kerala Police and conduct a fair, impartial, effective and scientific investigation into his brother's disappearance.

Additionally, the petitioner also prays for a direction to the investigating agency to conduct a scientific examination and excavation of the property identified by the petitioner by employing appropriate forensic methods including ground search, excavation and, if any human remains are detected, to conduct exhumation under the supervision of the jurisdictional Magistrate and subject the recovered remains to DNA profiling and such other forensic examinations.

Case No: WP(Crl.) 1188/ 2026

Case Title: Sajeev S. v. State of Kerala and Ors.