In a major development the Crime Branch of police has been entrusted with the probe into the land fraud case against Salim Raj, the former gunman of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

The DGP has ordered the probe, to be led by an official not below the rank of SP, into the case of illegal land accession by Salim Raj in Kochi.

Complaints of alleged efforts by DCP to undermine the investigation was also raised form some quarters. The latest order of the DGP comes in the wake of ADGP Hemachandran's report on the case.