Thrissur (Kerala): A high-level investigation has been ordered into the disappearance of seven minutes of CCTV footage from the Viyyur High-Security Prison following allegations of misconduct by prison officials. The High Court of Kerala issued the directive after a Maoist undertrial, C G Rajan, filed a complaint alleging that a Joint Superintendent had kicked away his meal during a cell inspection on June 5, 2023.

The legal proceedings took an unexpected turn when the footage submitted by jail authorities omitted the specific window between 9.10 am and 9.17 am—the exact period during which the alleged incident occurred. Further scrutiny of the available video revealed a 20-minute discrepancy between the time displayed on a wall clock within the cell and the system’s automated timestamp, prompting concerns regarding potential manual interference with the recording.

While the court observed that the petitioner’s claims lacked total credibility—noting that Rajan changed his testimony from food to water being kicked, and that the visible footage showed him eating calmly—the missing evidence raised judicial eyebrows. The court remarked that the authorities also appeared to be concealing information regarding the morning's events.

The Director General of Prisons has been ordered to conduct a thorough inquiry into the missing footage and the time discrepancies. The petition has now been transferred to the NIA Court for further consideration.