Kochi: The six officers accused in the custody death of Raj Kumar (Kumar) in Nedumkandam in Idukki district were granted bail by Kerala High Court on Thursday.
The High Court made the decision considering the plea that only the prime accused Sub-Inspector (SI) KA Sabu's bail was denied by the Supreme Court. Citing that there had been no further notices from the apex court, the defendants had moved the High Court on Thursday.
The defendants had approached the court even as the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) was to consider their bail plea.
Citing that there had been no further notices from the Supreme Court regarding the denial of their bail, and that
Kumar, who was arrested in a financial fraud case, died due to alleged custodial torture in June 2019. The case which was investigated by the Crime Branch was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the behest of the High Court. Kumar's wife and children too had sought a CBI probe.
Officers CB Rejimon (48), S Niyas (33), Sajiv Antony (42), KM James (52), Jithin K George (31) and Roy P Varghese (54) were the ones granted bail.
A native of Kolahalamedu near Vagamon in Kottayam, Kumar was arrested over the financial fraud case in Idukki. He was remanded and died at the Peermade sub-jail on June 21, 2019. The post-mortem revealed that Kumar had suffered brutal assaults. Allegations were also raised about the use of inhuman torture methods such as ‘urutti kola’, where a heavy iron rod is rolled on the body of the accused.
The prime accused KA Sabu, who was granted bail by the High Court in August, was arrested again last week after the apex court quashed his bail. He remains in the custody of the CBI.
