HC stays trial in Udaykumar custodial death case

The Kerala High Court today stayed the trial in a case relating to alleged custodial torture and subsequent death of a man at a police station in Thiruvananthapuram in September 2005.
Justice K Ramakrishnan stayed the proceedings of CBI Special court, Thiruvananthapuram, while considering a petition by former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Haridas, and a police constable Soman.
CBI had registered two cases relating to the incident under IPC sect 302 (punishment for murder) for custodial torture and subsequent death of Udayakumar, in which 13 police personnel, including a DYSP and Circle Inspector, are accused and another case for fabrication and forgery of police documents in which 3 DYSPs were accused.

Separate chargesheets were filed by CBI. However, now the trial is being conducted after clubbing the two cases. According to the petitioners, no such provisions exist in Crpc and the proceedings are illegal.
While Haridas is an accused in forgery case, Soman is an accused in the custodial torture and murder case.