Supreme Court Upholds Kerala HC Verdict on 2018 Murder Case Probe

The Supreme Court has upheld the Kerala High Court's decision to reject a transfer of the 2018 Shuhaib murder case to the CBI. Shuhaib's parents claimed the case was politically motivated, involving clashes between CPI(M) and Congress workers. The court reasoned that any interference now would be detrimental.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with the Kerala High Court verdict which had set aside an order transferring to the CBI the probe into a 2018 murder case.

The case involves Shuhaib, a 27-year-old man hacked to death allegedly due to a clash between CPI(M) and Congress workers. His parents filed a petition seeking to transfer the investigation to the CBI, alleging local involvement in the crime. However, the division bench of the High Court overturned an earlier decision to transfer the case from a Special Investigation Team to the CBI.

Hearing the plea on Tuesday, the Supreme Court noted that the investigation was complete and a charge sheet had been filed. The bench remarked that any interference at this stage would harm the case, emphasizing that political functionaries were among the accused. The court allowed for future legal steps if new evidence emerges during the trial.

(With inputs from agencies.)