The government has not appointed a new SIT chief after T.K. Rajmohan retired on May 31.

he probe into the larger conspiracy in the planning and murder of nine fishermen at Marad here is in limbo with a special investigation team constituted for the purpose being disbanded in a phased manner in the last few years.

For quite some time, the former Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch (Hurt and Homicide Wing), Kozhikode, had been heading the team. But the government has not appointed a new chief after T.K. Rajmohan, retired from the service on May 31, 2014. Incidentally, his retirement came even before he could go through the files.

Recently Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had promised the Marad Araya Samajam that the investigation process would be expedited after retired Crime Branch SP, C.M. Pradeepkumar, who initially headed the team, disclosed that the killings at Marad on May 2, 2003 were a meticulously planned and coordinated attack.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had constituted a three-member team in June 2010 and issued orders that Mr. Pradeepkumar would lead the investigation into the involvement of external agencies and fundamentalists. This was after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) refused to investigate the case based on the recommendations of the Thomas P. Joseph Commission, which suggested a probe by a “multi-level Central agency”.

Interestingly, Mr. Pradeepkumar was transferred as SP, Kerala State Human Rights Commission, in 2012 after the special team faced allegations against the manner of investigation. The terms of reference were to inquire into the larger conspiracy behind the incident, financial sources, and national and international connections and their ramifications.

The original team faced hiccups from the initial stage as two senior officers, N.P. Balakrishnan and P.A. Valsan, had objected to Mr. Pradeepkumar heading the team. They had pointed out that Mr. Pradeepkumar was junior to them.

Later Kozhikode Rural SP Neeraj Kumar Gupta, who was transferred as Crime Branch SP, took over the probe. Mr. Valsan assumed charge later but he was not able to make any headway in the probe except for gathering details on land deals in Marad and transfer of funds to the tune of Rs.600 crore to 40-odd banks in the district during 2001-2003.