NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Kerala Police to form a special investigation team (SIT) headed by a deputy inspector general rank officer to probe into allegations of wife-swapping among a group of Indian Navy officers.

A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice T S Thakur declined a plea made by one accused Naval officer’s estranged wife for a CBI probe into the charges.

“The facts and circumstances in which the offence is alleged to have been committed can be better investigated into by the state police,” the bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and U U Lalit, said, after noticing the plea by Kerala Police that as many as 70 witnesses had already been examined by them.

The Navy was rocked in 2013 by the shocking charges of wife-swapping when an officer’s wife accused her husband as well as five other naval officers — two captain and three lieutenant rank — posted at Kochi, and wife of one of the naval officers of sexual abuse. Subsequently, an FIR was registered by the Kerala Police against her husband and other officers.