One-month time to finish probe against Kerala minister

The Kerala High Court on Thursday asked police to complete within a month the investigation into the two-decade-old Kozhikode sex scandal case involving state minister and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunhalikutty.Appearing for the state government, Advocate General KP Dandapani requested the court to grant police another six weeks to complete recording of statements of 15 more witnesses.The court said that taking statements of 15 witnesses did not need six weeks’ time and gave police four more weeks to complete the probe. The case would be heard on next Jan. 30, 2012.Dandapani informed the court that 95 per cent of the investigation was over and the police have so far recorded statements of 129 people and taken into possession 104 documents.It was VS Achuthanandan who, as chief minister, in January this year ordered a fresh police inquiry into the case following revelations by Kunhalikutty’s relative KA Rauf on how Kunhalikutty managed to escape the law by allegedly influencing even the judiciary.