The Kerala High Court has intervened in a troubling case involving a man who vanished after being admitted to a government hospital by the police. The court has demanded a detailed report from the authorities, while sharply criticizing the police investigation and expressing grave concerns over the lack of surveillance in key areas of Kochi.
Court Directive on Missing Deported Worker
A bench comprising Justices Devan Ramachandran and M B Snehalatha issued the directive while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Santom Lama. The petitioner is seeking to trace his father, Suraj Lama, whose whereabouts have been unknown since early October.
Suraj Lama had been working in Kuwait for several years. His ordeal began after a recent incident involving the consumption of toxic liquor, which led to his hospitalization in Kuwait. He was diagnosed with acute toxic leukoencephalopathy caused by alcohol poisoning, a condition that reportedly caused him memory loss and disorientation.
Following his deportation, he arrived in Kochi on October 5. He was later seen at various locations in and around the city. According to the proceedings, the Thrikkakara police took him into custody on October 8 and subsequently admitted him to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery. It was after this hospital admission that he disappeared.
Decomposed Body Found, DNA Test Awaited
During the hearing on Monday, the police informed the High Court that a decomposed, unidentified male body had been discovered in a marshy area near the hospital. The government pleader stated that a postmortem examination was underway at the time and that positive identification of the body could only be confirmed after a DNA test is conducted.
In response to these developments, the High Court has sought two separate reports. The first report must come from the superintendent of the Government Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery, detailing the events surrounding Suraj Lama's admission and disappearance. This report is due by December 4. The second report is required from the police, explaining the circumstances of how the body was found in the marshy land.
HC Lambasts Police Probe and City Surveillance
The court did not mince words in its criticism of the police handling of the missing person investigation. The justices pointed out the irony that while the police were searching extensively across the state, an unidentified decomposed body was found right near the hospital in question.
"While the police were searching every nook and corner of the state, an unidentified decomposed body was found right under their noses," the court remarked orally.
The bench expressed serious concern over the unsupervised marshy lands and wetlands in and around Kochi city, especially given the proximity of the discovery site to the proposed judicial city. "What kind of city surveillance is this?" the court asked. "The body was found near the proposed judicial city. How can the police leave such areas unsupervised? If someone dumped a body after committing a murder, what would happen? Is this a killing field?"
The court emphasized that the police have a vital role in monitoring these areas and must provide an explanation for why they were left without proper supervision. The case highlights critical gaps in both institutional procedure and urban security, leaving a family in anguish and demanding urgent accountability from the authorities involved.
