Thiruvananthapuram: Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) B Harikumar, who hanged himself at his residence a week after he pushed an electrician on to a speeding car at Neyyattinkara following a tiff, was in mental trauma as he was certain that he would be locked up in jail for murder.
Harikumar's friend and co-accused Binu, who surrendered before the police immediately after the DySP's suicide, told cops that stress might have driven the cop to take the extreme step.
Binu also revealed that Harikumar and he had spent their time in the car after they fled the spot on November 5 night.
He said Harikumar had decided to surrender after eight days on the run as he realised there was no other way out. “I brought him back to his house in Kallambalam on Monday night,” says Binu.
The officer had fled after he realised he would be charged with murder of Sanalkumar. Harikumar, who had come out of private financier Binu's house, found Sanal's car parked behind his vehicle blocking the way. The cop got angry and slapped Sanalkumar. He pushed Sanalkumar under a speeding car and the electrician died on way to hospital.
Harikumar and Binu then fled in Binu's car. They first went to friend Sateesh's lodge in Tamil Nadu. “We engaged a driver from there and travelled to Madurai. From there we proceeded to Dharmasthala in Karnataka,” Binu told cops.
“We had some Rs 1 lakh with us, but did not stay in a hotel fearing that someone could identify us. We stayed in the car, which was parked in a deserted area.”
“Harikumar initially believed the case will not stand. However, his lawyers advised him that he had no option but to surrender. He wasn't willing to accept that and pondered over a plan to escape arrest.”
“I told him that wasn't practical. That was when he decided to surrender. I dropped him at his Kallambalam house and watched him enter the house,” Binu said.
He was found hanging the next day. Binu and the driver, who had surrendered at the Crime Branch office, are in police remand.
DySP to probe
Attingal DySP Anil Kumar has been asked to probe the death of Harikumar. A case has been filed at the Kallambalam police station.
The police are yet to examine CCTV cameras placed in Harikumar's property and house. Power supply was off in the unoccupied house and hence it's not clear whether the cameras were working. The police said the cameras will be checked only after two days as post-death rituals are taking place in the house.
Read more: Latest Kerala news
