Kumily: Police atrocities are a challenge to governments even as human rights are violated. Even though Kerala has an alert human rights watchdog, notorious cases of cruelties meted out by cops are reported regularly.
It was only a week ago remand prisoner Kumar had died at the Peermade sub-jail in Kerala's Idukki district after alleged custodial torture after being kept illegally confined for four days. Though it was reported that the 49-year-old died in hospital, a person who was in a neighbouring cell has now claimed Kumar, the owner of Haritha Finance at Thookupalam, died even before he was taken to the Peermade taluk hospital.
A resident of Kumily, Sunil Sukumaran, was lodged in a cell adjacent to Kumar's.
Kumar was assaulted in the jail and that he was given a pill by a cop on the day he died, Sunil claimed.
"I was put up at the cell adjacent to Kumar's. He was found to be in a miserable state on June 21. Begging for water, he fell on to the floor. At this time, the (International) Yoga Day events were progressing at the jail. By the time, the prisoners returned, he was found dead," Sunil said.
Though Kumar, accused of financial fraud, had complained of chest pain around 7 pm the previous day, he was not taken to the hospital. His loud cries for help went on from about 7 pm till midnight, it was said.
A cop, who came to check on him the next morning, verbally abused him and taunted him for 'not letting them sleep'.
A resident of Vagamon in Kottayam, Kumar was taken into custody in connection with a financial fraud case on June 12. He was allegedly tortured in custody and died on June 21.
There are also reports that those who lost money in the financial fraud had assaulted Kumar. He was also constantly assaulted during the journey from Kuttikkanam to Puliyanmala.
The autopsy report pointed to severe torture of the deceased who ran a finance firm at Thookupalam near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The post-mortem report from the Kottayam Medical College Hospital hinted that there were 32 injuries on Kumar's body. The notorious third-degree torture called ‘uruttal’ was also employed on him, it is suspected. The injury to vital organs and pneumonia led to Kumar's death, as per the post-mortem report.
Treatment under a cloud
The jail superintendent claimed that Kumar was take to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital and that he sought treatment at the urology department on June 18 and June 19. After blood was spotted in the urine, the Peermade taluk hospital had referred Kumar to the Kottayam hospital. However, there is no record of Kumar seeking treatment at the OP or any other department. Kumar was taken to the doctor at the OP wing along with the reference letter and then taken away on the sly without seeking further treatment, it was said.
Special branch report ignored
Thodupuzha: Meanwhile, it has come to light that senior police officers also reportedly ignored a special branch report that pointed out that Kumar was physically weak while in custody at the Nedumkandam police station.
Also, senior cops, including Idukki district police chief, were aware that Kumar was taken into custody on June 12, it is said.
Idukki district police chief, Idukki special branch DySP and Kattappana DySP, who is in incidentally charge of the financial fraud case, were aware that Kumar was kept illegally in custody for four days.
The special branch, that falls under the Idukki district police chief, had twice given reports regarding this on June 13 and June 14. Ignoring these reports, Kumar was kept in custody at the Nedumkandam police station for two more days. It was only on June 16 that his arrest was recorded and he was presented before the magistrate.
After disciplinary action was taken against only the cops at the Nedumkandam station, a section of the police officers leaked out the special branch report. Even the Crime Branch ADGP who is probing the custody death has been informed of this. Nedumkandam SI had reportedly sent the photos and the case details to the seniors on WhatsApp. However, the seniors claimed that the junior cops did not inform them about the details.
Checks at stations
Idukki district police chief K B Venugopal said that the junior cops did not submit to him or other senior officers a written record that Kumar was taken into custody.
"If I had known, I would not have let Kumar die. Former special branch DySP, former Kattappana DySP, and former Nedumkandam station house officer had made a serious fallout. Have also recommended to initiate department-level enquiry against the three officers to the IG," the SP said.
It is not possible to keep an accused in police custody without the knowledge of the senior officers. As per the DGP's circular, the details of those taken into the custody have to be conveyed to the DySP and the district police chief. The Superintendent of Police (SP) conducts checks on those taken in custody at each station every morning at 8am through wireless reporting.
