Kerala High Court Keeps Suraj Lama Habeas Case Open, Orders Senior-Led SIT to Chart Full Sequence

Overview

• On February 11, a bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and M B Snehalatha declined to close the habeas corpus petition even after a forensic report identified the body as Suraj Lama’s.
• The Special Investigation Team must document events from Lama’s arrival in Kochi to the discovery of his body, with the probe led by the Commissioner of Police or an officer of equivalent rank.
• The court directed the Nedumbasery SHO or investigating officer to produce the full case file and the post-mortem report, and it scheduled the next hearing in three weeks.
• An interim post-mortem dated December 1, 2025, recorded that the cause of death could not be ascertained due to advanced decomposition.
• The bench noted that a non-accidental death cannot be ruled out and highlighted alleged lapses by immigration and airport staff, police, and the medical college hospital in handling a visibly vulnerable deportee.