Chief investigating officer of the Arushi/Hemraj murders.
I was shocked to read in the papers of the untimely death of AGL Kaul, Superintendent of Police CBI of a heart attack. He was only 52 yrs old.
My interaction with Kaul was brief but very intense. I had just taken charge as Director CBI in Nov 2011 and, one of the first items on the agenda was to take a final decision in the Arushi/Hemraj murder case. Kaul had been investigating this case for two years and had comprehensively examined all its dimensions including witnesses, forensic evidence, crime scene and interrogation of the parents in great detail.
He was convinced that the parents had committed the crime. He submitted his final investigation report recommending charge sheet of the parents. The senior supervisory officers were not so sure as there had been a number of twists and turns in the investigation. Innumerable meetings and discussions on the case took place before a final decision was taken.
Much against Kaul’s strong opinion that the parents were responsible. it was decided to recommend closure but place all the facts before the court. The court concurred with Kaul’s line of investigation and charges were framed against the accused. He along with Mr. Saini our public prosecutor meticulously placed all the evidence before the court resulting in conviction of the parents.
It was a clear vindication of all the hard work and effort that Kaul had put in the investigation. Despite the many lacunae and loopholes due to the fact that the case had been handled initially by UP Police and later by another CBI investigation team, before he was given charge, he was able to obtain a conviction. He had methodically investigated the case in such a manner that by eliminating all other theories there was only one conclusion, that the parents were responsible.
During the course of the investigation and trial, Kaul faced immense pressure from all quarters including his superiors, media, and the public as it was one of the most high profile and enigmatic cases handled by the CBI. But he remained steadfastly resolute and focussed. Kaul was the epitome of a CBI investigator. Totally dedicated and willing to put his heart and soul to the task before him. It was this dedication, long hours of work and intense pressure that every investigator faces which may have resulted in the heart attack that took his life. In his demise CBI lost one of its best investigators. May his soul rest in peace. My deepest condolences to his family.
Amar Pratap Singh
former Director CBI
